Core-collapse supernovae stymie secret neutrino interactions

TL;DR

This paper investigates how hypothetical secret neutrino interactions could affect supernova explosions and neutrino detection, providing new constraints on these interactions based on supernova observations, especially SN 1987A.

Contribution

It offers the most stringent bounds to date on flavor-universal secret neutrino interactions mediated by particles between 10 MeV and 1 GeV.

Findings

Secret neutrino interactions can hinder supernova shock revival.

Supernova neutrino observations constrain secret interaction strength.

New bounds are set for interactions mediated by 10 MeV to 1 GeV particles.

Abstract

Beyond-the-Standard-Model interactions of neutrinos among themselves -- {\it secret interactions} -- in the supernova core may prevent the shock revival, halting the supernova explosion. Besides, if supernova neutrinos en route to Earth undergo secret interactions with relic neutrinos, the neutrino burst reaching Earth may be down-scattered in energy, falling below the detection threshold. We probe secret neutrino interactions through supernova neutrinos and apply our findings to the supernova SN 1987A. We place the most stringent bounds on flavor-universal secret interactions occurring through a new mediator with mass between 10 MeV and 1 GeV.