[Paper Review] Supernova Burst Observations with DUNE

J. Migenda|arXiv (Cornell University)|Apr 5, 2018

Neutrino Physics Research3 references3 citations

TL;DR

This paper evaluates DUNE’s capability to detect core-collapse supernova neutrino bursts using its 40-kiloton liquid argon time-projection chamber. DUNE is highly sensitive to electron neutrinos ($\nu_e$) via charged-current interactions, expected to observe ~3,500 events from a galactic supernova at 10 kpc within ~10 seconds, with potential to resolve the neutrino mass ordering via the early neutronization burst at ~10 ms post-bounce.

ABSTRACT

The Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE) is a 40-kton underground liquid argon time-projection-chamber detector that will have unique sensitivity to the electron flavor component of a core-collapse supernova neutrino burst. We present expected capabilities of DUNE for measurements of neutrinos in the few-tens-of-MeV range relevant for supernova detection and the corresponding sensitivities to neutrino physics and supernova astrophysics. Recent progress and some outstanding issues will be highlighted.

Motivation & Objective

• Assess DUNE’s sensitivity to electron neutrinos ($\nu_e$) from core-collapse supernovae using liquid argon time-projection chamber technology.
• Investigate the potential to detect the neutronization burst at ~10 ms post-core bounce as a model-independent signature.
• Explore the impact of neutrino mass ordering on the observed time structure of the early neutrino signal.
• Evaluate DUNE’s capability to probe collective neutrino effects and hydrodynamic features like SASI through time- and energy-dependent signal features.
• Determine the expected event rates for supernovae at various distances, including detection thresholds for Andromeda and the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB).

Proposed method

• Utilize liquid argon time-projection chambers (LAr TPCs) with mm-scale 3D tracking and dE/dx-based particle identification for high-resolution neutrino event reconstruction.
• Model neutrino interactions in argon using cross-sections for $\nu_e$ charged-current (CC), $\bar{\nu}_e$ CC, and elastic scattering (ES) channels, with $\nu_e$ CC dominating at 5–50 MeV.
• Simulate supernova neutrino light curves using the SNOwGLoBES software for a 40-kiloton fiducial mass, assuming a 10 kpc distance and electron-capture supernova model.
• Incorporate MSW oscillations in the neutrino propagation through the supernova envelope to predict energy and time-dependent signal variations based on mass ordering.
• Estimate event rates for different supernova distances (10 kpc, LMC, Andromeda) and for the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB) in the 16–40 MeV range.
• Analyze time-structure features such as the neutronization burst and potential collective flavor transitions using simulated flux models.

Experimental results

Research questions

• RQ1 What is the expected number of detectable neutrino events from a galactic core-collapse supernova at 10 kpc using DUNE’s 40-kiloton liquid argon detector?
• RQ2 How does the neutrino mass ordering affect the time structure of the early neutrino burst observed in DUNE?
• RQ3 Can DUNE distinguish the neutronization burst from other temporal features in the supernova neutrino signal, given its model-independence?
• RQ4 What is the sensitivity of DUNE to the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB) in the 16–40 MeV energy range?
• RQ5 To what extent can DUNE resolve time- and energy-dependent features linked to hydrodynamic instabilities (e.g., SASI) or collective neutrino effects?

Key findings

• DUNE is expected to detect approximately 3,500 neutrino events from a galactic supernova at 10 kpc, primarily via $\nu_e$ charged-current interactions on $^{40}$Ar.
• The neutronization burst at ~10 ms post-core bounce is a nearly model-independent feature, with its observed shape and intensity dependent solely on the neutrino mass ordering.
• For a supernova in the Large Magellanic Cloud (LMC), DUNE expects ~50 detectable events, while an Andromeda supernova would yield only ~1 event, likely undetectable.
• The diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB) may contribute a few events per year in the 16–40 MeV range, though background discrimination remains uncertain.
• The time-structure of the signal, especially the early burst, allows DUNE to probe the neutrino mass ordering with high sensitivity, as shown by distinct event patterns under normal vs. inverted hierarchy.
• DUNE’s high-resolution 3D reconstruction and energy measurement enable detailed study of temporal and spectral features, offering unique sensitivity to collective neutrino effects and shock dynamics.