Neutrinos: from the r-process to the diffuse supernova neutrino background

TL;DR

This paper explores the role of neutrinos in astrophysical phenomena like supernovae and neutron star mergers, focusing on flavor evolution, non-standard interactions, and implications for nucleosynthesis and the diffuse supernova neutrino background.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of neutrino flavor evolution, including non-standard interactions, in dense astrophysical environments and their impact on nucleosynthesis and background signals.

Findings

Neutrino properties influence r-process element formation.

Non-standard interactions can alter neutrino flavor evolution.

Upcoming measurements of the diffuse supernova neutrino background are promising.

Abstract

Neutrinos from dense environments are connected to the longstanding open questions of how massive stars explode and what are the sites where $r$-process elements are made. Flavor evolution and neutrino properties can influence nucleosynthetic abundances. GW170817 has given indirect evidence for r-process elements in binary neutron star mergers. We discuss the impact of non-standard interactions in such sites. Nearby compact objects, strong gravitational fields are present. We discuss their influence upon neutrino decoherence in a wave packet treatment of neutrino propagation. We conclude by mentioning the upcoming measurement of the diffuse supernova neutrino background.