Pre-Supernova (Anti)Neutrino Emission Due to Weak-Interaction Reactions with Hot Nuclei

TL;DR

This paper predicts pre-supernova neutrino spectra and luminosities using detailed stellar models, highlighting the importance of thermal effects and nuclear weak interactions in shaping neutrino emissions.

Contribution

It introduces a thermodynamically consistent approach to modeling Gamow--Teller transitions in hot nuclei, improving predictions of neutrino signals before supernovae.

Findings

Thermal effects increase neutrino luminosities and average energies.

Comparison shows improved accuracy with the consistent treatment of nuclear transitions.

Results aid in assessing pre-supernova neutrino detection feasibility.

Abstract

Reliable predictions of (anti)neutrino spectra and luminosities are essential for assessing the feasibility of detecting pre-supernova neutrinos. Using the stellar evolution code MESA, we calculate the (anti)neutrino spectra and luminosities under realistic conditions of temperature, density, and electron fraction. Our study includes (anti)neutrinos produced by both thermal processes and nuclear weak-interaction reactions. By comparing the results of the thermal quasiparticle random-phase approximation with the standard technique based on the effective $Q$-value method, we investigate how thermal effects influence the spectra and luminosities of emitted (anti)neutrinos. Our findings show that a thermodynamically consistent treatment of Gamow--Teller transitions in hot nuclei enhances both the energy luminosity and the average energies of the emitted (anti)neutrinos.