[Paper Review] Inconsistence of super-luminal Opera neutrino speed with SN1987A neutrinos burst and with flavor neutrino mixing

Daniele Fargion, D. DʼArmiento|arXiv (Cornell University)|Sep 25, 2011

Neutrino Physics Research7 citations

TL;DR

This paper challenges the Opera-CERN claim of superluminal neutrinos by testing its consistency with SN1987A neutrino burst data and neutrino flavor oscillations. It finds that all proposed models—tachyonic mass, anti-tachyon, and split-flavor speed—fail to reconcile the superluminal speed with observed data, concluding that a timing calibration error in the Opera experiment is the most plausible explanation.

ABSTRACT

We tried to fit in any way the recent Opera-Cern claims of a neutrino super-luminal speed with observed Supernova SN1987A neutrino burst and all (or most) neutrino flavor oscillation. We considered three main frame-works: (1) A tachyon imaginary neutrino mass, whose timing is nevertheless in conflict with observed IMB-Kamiokande SN1987A burst by thousands of billion times longer. (2) An ad hoc anti-tachyon model whose timing shrinkage may accommodate SN1987A burst but greatly disagree with energy independent Cern-Opera super-luminal speed. (3) A split neutrino flavor speed (among a common real mass relativistic neutrino electron component and a super-luminal neutrino {\mu}) in an ad hoc frozen speed scenario that is leading to the prompt neutrino de-coherence and the rapid flavor mixing (between electron and muon ones) that are in conflict with most oscillation records. Therefore we concluded that an error must be hidden in Opera-Cern time calibration (as indeed recent rumors seem to confirm). We are also reminding the relevance of the guaranteed minimal atmospheric neutrino mass whose detection may be achieved by a milliseconds graviton-neutrino split time delay among gravity burst and neutronization neutrino peak in any future SN explosion in Andromeda recordable in Megaton neutrino detector.

Motivation & Objective

• To test the consistency of the Opera-CERN superluminal neutrino speed claim with the observed neutrino burst from SN1987A.
• To evaluate whether proposed theoretical models of superluminal neutrinos can explain both SN1987A data and neutrino flavor oscillation records.
• To assess the viability of tachyonic, anti-tachyonic, and split-flavor neutrino speed models in light of experimental constraints.
• To reinforce the need for precise time calibration in neutrino experiments and highlight the potential of future Andromeda supernova observations.

Proposed method

• Analyzing the timing of the SN1987A neutrino burst to constrain superluminal neutrino speeds using the observed 10-second burst window.
• Evaluating a tachyon model with imaginary neutrino mass, showing it predicts a delay thousands of billions of times longer than observed.
• Proposing an anti-tachyon model with timing shrinkage to fit SN1987A, but showing it contradicts the energy-independent superluminal speed from Opera.
• Introducing a split-flavor speed model with a real-mass electron neutrino and a superluminal muon neutrino, leading to rapid flavor mixing.
• Assessing the de-coherence and mixing rates in the split-flavor model, finding they conflict with established oscillation data.
• Using theoretical constraints from neutrino mass and gravity-neutrino time delays to suggest future detection prospects in Andromeda.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 Can the Opera-CERN superluminal neutrino speed be reconciled with the SN1987A neutrino burst timing?
• RQ2 Do tachyonic or anti-tachyonic neutrino models with superluminal speeds remain viable given SN1987A data?
• RQ3 Is a split-flavor speed model—where electron and muon neutrinos travel at different speeds—consistent with observed neutrino oscillation patterns?
• RQ4 What constraints do neutrino flavor mixing and de-coherence rates place on superluminal neutrino models?
• RQ5 How can future Andromeda supernova observations help verify minimal atmospheric neutrino mass via time delays?

Key findings

• The tachyonic neutrino model with imaginary mass predicts a time delay thousands of billions of times longer than the observed 10-second SN1987A burst window.
• The anti-tachyon model can fit SN1987A timing but fails to reproduce the energy-independent superluminal speed reported by Opera-CERN.
• The split-flavor speed model leads to rapid neutrino de-coherence and flavor mixing, which contradicts the observed, slow oscillation patterns in neutrino experiments.
• All tested models of superluminal neutrinos are inconsistent with either SN1987A data or neutrino oscillation records, indicating a fundamental flaw in the superluminal assumption.
• The paper concludes that a timing calibration error in the Opera-CERN experiment is the most plausible explanation for the superluminal result.
• Future detection of a supernova in Andromeda with a Megaton neutrino detector could reveal a minimal atmospheric neutrino mass via a milliseconds delay between gravitational and neutronization neutrino signals.