Combining collective, MSW, and turbulence effects in supernova neutrino flavor evolution

TL;DR

This study models supernova neutrino flavor evolution by integrating collective effects, shock wave dynamics, and turbulence across different progenitors, revealing how turbulence impacts spectral features and the interpretability of signals.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive framework combining collective, MSW, and turbulence effects in supernova neutrino flavor evolution for multiple progenitor types.

Findings

Turbulence has minimal impact in ONeMg supernovae, making their signals easier to interpret.

Small turbulence amplitudes slightly modify the neutrino spectra, preserving key features.

Large turbulence amplitudes can obscure collective and shock effects, especially in high-density resonance channels.

Abstract

(Abridged) In order to decode the neutrino burst signal from a Galactic core-collapse supernova and reveal the complicated inner workings of the explosion we need a thorough understanding of the neutrino flavor evolution from the proto-neutron star outwards. The flavor content of the signal evolves due to both neutrino collective effects and matter effects which can lead to a highly interesting interplay and distinctive spectral features. In this paper we investigate the supernova neutrino flavor evolution in three different progenitors and include collective flavor effects, the evolution of the Mikheyev, Smirnov & Wolfenstein conversion due to the shock wave passage through the star, and the impact of turbulence. In the Oxygen-Neon-Magnesium supernova we find that the impact of turbulence is both brief and slight during a window of 1-2 seconds post bounce. Thus the spectral features of collective and shock effects in the neutrino signals from ONeMg supernovae may be almost turbulence free making them the easiest to interpret. For the more massive progenitors we again find that small amplitude turbulence, up to 10%, leads to a minimal modification of the signal, and the emerging neutrino spectra retain both collective and MSW features. However, when larger amounts of turbulence is added, 30% and 50%, the features of collective and shock wave effects in the high density resonance channel are almost completely obscured at late times. Yet at the same time we find the other mixing channels - the low density resonance channel and the non-resonant channels - begin to develop turbulence signatures. Large amplitude turbulent motions in the outer layers of more massive, iron core-collapse supernovae may obscure the most obvious fingerprints of collective and shock wave effects in the neutrino signal but cannot remove them completely, and additionally bring about new features in the signal.