Fast Neutrino Flavor Conversions can Help and Hinder Neutrino-Driven Explosions

TL;DR

This study explores how fast neutrino flavor conversions influence core-collapse supernova explosions, showing they can both promote and hinder explosions depending on progenitor mass, through novel simulations with feedback mechanisms.

Contribution

First simulations of supernovae with feedback from fast neutrino flavor conversions, revealing their dual role in aiding or impeding explosions based on progenitor mass.

Findings

FFC facilitates explosions in low-mass progenitors.

FFC weakens explosions in higher-mass progenitors.

Simulation results depend on the spatial domain of FFCs.

Abstract

We present the first simulations of core-collapse supernovae in axial symmetry with feedback from fast neutrino flavor conversion (FFC). Our schematic treatment of FFCs assumes instantaneous flavor equilibration under the constraint of lepton-number conservation individually for each flavor. Systematically varying the spatial domain where FFCs are assumed to occur, we find that they facilitate SN explosions in low-mass (9-12 solar masses) progenitors that otherwise explode with longer time delays, whereas FFCs weaken the tendency to explode of higher-mass (around 20 solar masses) progenitors.