6 research outputs found
Probing the neutrino mass hierarchy and the 13-mixing with supernovae
We consider in details the effects of the 13-mixing (sin^2 theta_{13}) and of
the type of mass hierarchy/ordering (sign[ Delta m^2_{13}]) on neutrino signals
from the gravitational collapses of stars. The observables (characteristics of
the energy spectra of nu_e and antinu_e events) sensitive to sin^2 theta_{13}
and sign[Delta m^2_{13}] have been calculated. They include the ratio of
average energies of the spectra, r_E = /, the ratio of widths of
the energy distributions, r_Gamma, the ratios of total numbers of nu_e and
antinu_e events at low energies, S, and in the high energy tails, R_{tail}. We
construct and analyze scatter plots which show the predictions for the
observables for different intervals of sin^2 theta_{13} and signs of Delta
m^2_{13}, taking into account uncertainties in the original neutrino spectra,
the star density profile, etc.. Regions in the space of observables r_E,
r_Gamma, S, R_{tail} exist in which certain mass hierarchy and intervals of
sin^2 theta_{13} can be identified or discriminated. We elaborate on the method
of the high energy tails in the spectra of events. The conditions are
formulated for which sin^2 theta_{13} can be (i) measured, (ii) restricted from
below, (iii) restricted from above. We comment on the possibility to determine
sin^2 theta_{13} using the time dependence of the signals due to the
propagation of the shock wave through the resonance layers of the star. We show
that the appearance of the delayed Earth matter effect in one of the channels
(nu_e or antinu_e) in combination with the undelayed effect in the other
channel will allow to identify the shock wave appeareance and determine the
mass hierarchy.Comment: LaTeX, 56 pages, 12 figures; a few clarifications added; typos
corrected. Version to appear in JCA
Supernova neutrinos: difference of nu_mu - nu_tau fluxes and conversion effects
The formalism of flavor conversion of supernova neutrinos is generalized to
include possible differences in the fluxes of the muon and tau neutrinos
produced in the star. In this case the radiatively induced difference of the
nu_mu and nu_tau potentials in matter becomes important. The nu_mu and nu_tau
flux differences can manifest themselves in the effects of the Earth matter on
the observed nu_e (antinu_e) signal if: (i) the neutrino mass hierarchy is
normal (inverted); (ii) the solution of the solar neutrino problem is in the
LMA region; (iii) the mixing U_{e3} is relatively large: |U_{e3}|>10^{-3}. We
find that for differences in the nu_mu - nu_tau (antinu_mu - antinu_tau)
average energies and/or integrated luminosities < 20 %, the relative deviation
of the observed nu_e (antinu_e) energy spectrum at E > 50 MeV from that in the
case of the equal fluxes can reach 20 - 30 % (10 - 15 %) for neutrinos crossing
the Earth. It could be detected in future if large detectors sensitive to the
nu_e (antinu_e) energy spectrum become available. The study of this effect
would allow one to test the predictions of the nu_mu, nu_tau, antinu_mu,
antinu_tau fluxes from supernova models and therefore give an important insight
into the properties of matter at extreme conditions. It should be taken into
account in the reconstruction of the neutrino mass spectrum and mixing matrix
from the supernova neutrino observations. We show that even for unequal nu_mu
and nu_tau fluxes, effects of leptonic CP violation can not be studied in the
supernova neutrino experiments.Comment: LaTeX, 34 pages, 10 figures; minor changes to text and figures,
references and acknowledgements adde