Non-Standard Interactions of Supernova Neutrinos and Mass Ordering Ambiguity at DUNE

TL;DR

This paper investigates how non-standard neutrino interactions can alter supernova neutrino flavor conversions and affect mass ordering determination at DUNE, revealing new resonances and potential ambiguities in interpreting signals.

Contribution

It demonstrates the impact of NSI on supernova neutrino flavor conversion patterns and how DUNE can detect these effects to probe NSI parameters and resolve mass ordering ambiguities.

Findings

NSI can invert neutrino matter eigenstates energy levels.

NSI can induce a new resonance near the proto-neutron star.

DUNE can detect NSI effects down to order 0.1.

Abstract

We show that non-standard neutrino interactions (NSI) can notably modify the pattern of resonant flavor conversion of neutrinos within supernovae and significantly impact the neutronization burst signal in forthcoming experiments such as the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). The presence of NSI can invert the energy levels of neutrino matter eigenstates and even induce a new resonance in the inner parts close to the proto-neutron star. We demonstrate how DUNE can use these new configurations of energy levels to have sensitivity to NSIs down to $\mathcal{O}(0.1)$. We also elucidate how the effect may result in a puzzling confusion of normal and inverted mass orderings by highlighting the emergence or vanishing of the neutronization peak, which distinguishes between the two mass orderings. Potential implications are analyzed thoroughly.