Dynamic Neutrino Mass Ordering and Its Imprint on the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background

TL;DR

This paper explores how a dynamically evolving neutrino mass spectrum could leave detectable energy-dependent signatures in the diffuse supernova neutrino background, offering a novel way to probe neutrino mass evolution.

Contribution

It introduces a method to detect the effects of dynamic neutrino mass ordering on the DSNB spectrum through neutrino oscillation signatures.

Findings

Distinct energy-dependent features in the DSNB spectrum due to mass evolution

Potential to differentiate dynamic mass effects from astrophysical uncertainties

Neutrino oscillation signatures sensitive to evolving mass spectrum

Abstract

Neutrino masses may have evolved dynamically throughout the history of the Universe, potentially leading to a mass spectrum distinct from the normal or inverted ordering observed today. While cosmological measurements constrain the total energy density of neutrinos, they are not directly sensitive to a dynamically changing mass ordering unless future surveys achieve exceptional precision in detecting the distinct imprints of each mass eigenstate on large-scale structures. In this work, we investigate the impact of a dynamic neutrino mass spectrum on the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB), which is composed of neutrinos from all supernova explosions throughout cosmic history and is on the verge of experimental detection. Since neutrino oscillations are highly sensitive to the mass spectrum, we show that the electron neutrino survival probability carries distinct signatures of the evolving neutrino mass spectrum. Our results indicate that the resulting modifications to the DSNB spectrum would exhibit unique energy-dependent features. These features are distinguishable from the effects of significant astrophysical uncertainties, providing a potential avenue for probing the dynamic nature of neutrino masses.