Sterile Neutrino-Enhanced Supernova Explosions

TL;DR

This paper explores how active-sterile neutrino conversion can enhance supernova explosion mechanisms by increasing neutrino luminosity and pre-heating the stellar material, potentially improving explosion success rates.

Contribution

It demonstrates that sterile neutrino conversion can significantly boost neutrino luminosity and entropy deposition, aiding supernova explosions, especially with parameters relevant to dark matter.

Findings

Neutrino luminosity at the neutrino sphere can increase by 10-100%.

Sterile neutrino transport causes pre-heating ahead of the shock.

Enhanced entropy deposition may facilitate shock revival.

Abstract

We investigate the enhancement of lepton number, energy, and entropy transport resulting from active-sterile neutrino conversion $\nu_e\to\nu_s$ deep in the post-bounce supernova core followed by re-conversion $\nu_s\to\nu_e$ further out, near the neutrino sphere. We explicitly take account of shock wave and neutrino heating modification of the active neutrino forward scattering potential which governs sterile neutrino production. We find that the $\nu_e$ luminosity at the neutrino sphere could be increased by between $\sim 10 %$ and $\sim 100 %$ during the crucial shock re-heating epoch if the sterile neutrino has a rest mass and vacuum mixing parameters in ranges which include those required for viable sterile neutrino dark matter. We also find sterile neutrino transport-enhanced entropy deposition ahead of the shock. This `` pre-heating\rq\rq can help melt heavy nuclei and thereby reduce the nuclear photo-dissociation burden on the shock. Both neutrino luminosity enhancement and pre-heating could increase the likelihood of a successful core collapse supernova explosion.