Impact of sterile neutrino dark matter on core-collapse supernovae

TL;DR

This paper investigates how sterile neutrino dark matter could influence core-collapse supernovae, finding minimal effects if sterile neutrinos make up all dark matter, but potentially significant impacts if they are only a fraction, depending on mixing angles.

Contribution

It analyzes the effects of sterile neutrino dark matter with various masses and mixing angles on supernova explosions, considering recent X-ray flux constraints and different dark matter compositions.

Findings

Sterile neutrino dark matter with 100% contribution has negligible impact on supernovae.

Partial dark matter contribution from sterile neutrinos could significantly affect supernova dynamics.

Muon-tau sterile neutrino mixing does not notably influence supernova explosions.

Abstract

We summarize the impact of sterile neutrino dark matter on core-collapse supernova explosions. We explore various oscillations between electron neutrinos or mixed $\mu-\tau$ neutrinos and right-handed sterile neutrinos that may occur within a core-collapse supernova. In particular, we consider sterile neutrino masses and mixing angles that are consistent with sterile neutrino dark matter candidates as indicated by recent X-ray flux measurements. We find that the interpretation of the observed 3.5 keV X-ray excess as due to a decaying 7 keV sterile neutrino that comprises 100\% of the dark matter would have almost no observable effect on supernova explosions. However, in the more realistic case in which the decaying sterile neutrino comprises only a small fraction of the total dark matter density due to the presence of other sterile neutrino flavors, WIMPs, etc., a larger mixing angle is allowed. In this case a 7 keV sterile neutrino could have a significant impact on core-collapse supernovae. We also consider mixing between $\mu-\tau$ neutrinos and sterile neutrinos. We find, however, that this mixing does not significantly alter the explosion and has no observable effect on the neutrino luminosities at early times.