Identifying the neutrino mass spectrum from a supernova neutrino burst

TL;DR

This paper explores how detecting neutrino bursts from galactic supernovae can help determine the neutrino mass spectrum, hierarchy, and mixing parameters by analyzing flavor conversions and neutral current effects.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive analysis of supernova neutrino signals to distinguish neutrino mass hierarchies and measure mixing angles, considering all viable 3-neutrino spectra consistent with current data.

Findings

Can identify the solar neutrino solution

Determines the neutrino mass hierarchy (normal or inverted)

Probes the mixing parameter |U_{e3}|^2 down to 10^{-4} - 10^{-3}

Abstract

We study the role that the future detection of the neutrino burst from a galactic supernova can play in the reconstruction of the neutrino mass spectrum. We consider all possible 3$\nu$ mass and flavor spectra which describe the solar and atmospheric neutrino data. For each of these spectra we find the observable effects of the supernova neutrino conversions both in the matter of the star and the earth. We show that studies of the electron neutrino and anineutrino spectra as well as observations of the neutral current effects from supernova will allow us (i) to identify the solar neutrino solution, (ii) to determine the type of mass hierarchy (normal or inverted) and (iii) to probe the mixing $|U_{e3}|^2$ to values as low as $10^{-4} - 10^{-3}$.