Search for Supernova Neutrino Bursts with the Large Volume Detector

Abstract

, is a 1 kton liquid scintillator neutrino observatory mainly designed to study low energy neutrinos from gravitational stellar collapses. LVD is sensitive to core-collapse supernovae via neutrino burst detection with 100% efficiency over the entire Galaxy. In this paper we summarize the results of the last run, lasting from 2014, January 1 st to 2015, May 25 th for a total live time of 508.1 days. In the lack of a positive observation in this data set and including all previously published results since 1992, we establish the following upper limit on the rate of core collapse and failed supernova explosions out to distances of 25 kpc : 0.11 yr −1 at 90% c.l.