The Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background

TL;DR

The paper discusses the prospects of detecting the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB) with current and future neutrino detectors, highlighting its significance for understanding supernovae and cosmic core-collapse rates.

Contribution

It provides updated predictions for DSNB detection with gadolinium-enhanced Super-Kamiokande and discusses implications for astrophysics and new physics if not detected.

Findings

Super-Kamiokande's 2003 upper limit is close to predictions.

Gadolinium doping could enable detection of a few events per year.

Detection would offer new insights into supernova neutrino emission.

Abstract

The Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background (DSNB) is the weak glow of MeV neutrinos and antineutrinos from distant core-collapse supernovae. The DSNB has not been detected yet, but the Super-Kamiokande (SK) 2003 upper limit on the electron antineutrino flux is close to predictions, now quite precise, based on astrophysical data. If SK is modified with dissolved gadolinium to reduce detector backgrounds and increase the energy range for analysis, then it should detect the DSNB at a rate of a few events per year, providing a new probe of supernova neutrino emission and the cosmic core-collapse rate. If the DSNB is not detected, then new physics will be required. Neutrino astronomy, while uniquely powerful, has proven extremely difficult -- only the Sun and the nearby Supernova 1987A have been detected to date -- so the promise of detecting new sources soon is exciting indeed.