Prospects for the detection of the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background with the experiments SK-Gd and JUNO

TL;DR

This paper assesses the potential of SK-Gd and JUNO experiments to detect the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background, predicting significant evidence within a decade through combined analysis.

Contribution

It provides a detailed evaluation of detector sensitivities and estimates the likelihood of DSNB detection with upcoming experiments SK-Gd and JUNO.

Findings

Both SK-Gd and JUNO can achieve >3σ evidence within 10 years.

Combined data could lead to a 5σ discovery of DSNB.

Estimated background and signal levels support detection prospects.

Abstract

The advent of gadolinium-loaded Super-Kamiokande (SK-Gd) and of the soon-to-start JUNO liquid scintillator detector marks a substantial improvement in the global sensitivity for the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background (DSNB). The present article reviews the detector properties most relevant for the DSNB searches in both experiments and estimates the expected signal and background levels. Based on these inputs, we evaluate the sensitivity of both experiments individually and combined. Using a simplified statistical approach, we find that both SK-Gd and JUNO have the potential to reach $>$3$\sigma$ evidence of the DSNB signal within 10 years of measurement. The combined results are likely to enable a $5\sigma$ discovery of the DSNB signal within the next decade.