Flavor Oscillations in Core-Collapse Supernovae

TL;DR

This paper investigates neutrino flavor oscillations in core-collapse supernovae, focusing on collective behaviors caused by neutrino-neutrino interactions and their effects on nucleosynthesis processes.

Contribution

It provides an analysis of the non-linear neutrino system in supernovae, highlighting the role of symmetries and collective oscillation phenomena.

Findings

Neutrino-neutrino interactions induce complex collective oscillations.

Symmetries in the neutrino system influence flavor transformation patterns.

Implications for r-process nucleosynthesis in supernova environments.

Abstract

Core collapse supernovae are unique laboratories to study many aspects of neutrino physics. The vicinity of the proto-neutron star in a core-collapse supernova is characterized by large matter and neutrino densities. A salient feature of this region is the impact of neutrino-neutrino interactions. Properties of the ensuing non-linear many-neutrino system are examined with a particular emphasis on its collective behavior and its symmetries. The impact of neutrino properties and interactions on the r-process nucleosynthesis that may take place in the supernova environment is discussed.