Coherent development of neutrino flavor in the supernova environment

We calculate coherent neutrino and antineutrino flavor transformation in the supernova environment, for the first time including self-consistent coupling of intersecting neutrino and antineutrino trajectories. For neutrino mass-squared difference /deltam2/ = 3 x 10(-3) eV2 we find that in the normal (inverted) mass hierarchy the more tangentially-propagating (radially-propagating) neutrinos and antineutrinos can initiate collective, simultaneous medium-enhanced flavor conversion of these particles across broad ranges of energy and propagation direction. Accompanying alterations in neutrino and antineutrino energy spectra and fluxes could affect supernova nucleosynthesis and the expected neutrino signal.     

Constraints on three flavor neutrino mixing

We summarize the constraints on three flavor neutrino mixing coming from data. We first map out the allowed region in the three neutrino parameter space using solar and atmospheric neutrino data. We then incorporate the results of reactor and long baseline experiments in our analysis and show that the parameter space is drastically reduced. We conclude by pointing out that the results of Borexino and SNO will further help in constraining the parameter space.     

No collective neutrino flavor conversions during the supernova accretion phase

We perform a dedicated study of the supernova (SN) neutrino flavor evolution during the accretion phase, using results from recent neutrino radiation hydrodynamics simulations. In contrast to what was expected in the presence of only neutrino-neutrino interactions, we find that the multiangle effects associated with the dense ordinary matter suppress collective oscillations. The matter suppression implies that neutrino oscillations will start outside the neutrino decoupling region and therefore will have a negligible impact on the neutrino heating and the explosion dynamics. Furthermore, the possible detection of the next galactic SN neutrino signal from the accretion phase, based on the usual Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein effect in the SN mantle and Earth matter effects, can reveal the neutrino mass hierarchy in the case that the mixing angle θ(13) is not very small.     

Domain of mixing angles in three flavor neutrino oscillations

We clarify the domain needed for the mixing angles in three flavor neutrino oscillations. By comparing the ranges of the transition probabilities as functions of the domains of the mixing angles, we show that it is necessary and sufficient to let all mixing angles be in . This holds irrespectively of any assumptions on the neutrino mass squared differences.     

Testing the maximal nature of muon neutrino flavor mixing

The small difference between the survival probabilities of muon neutrino and antineutrino beams, traveling through Earth matter in a long baseline experiment such as MINOS, is shown to be an important measure of any possible deviation from maximality in the flavor mixing of those states.     

Analysis of neutrino mass, mixing and flavor change

Established results on neutrino mass, mixing and flavor change (as of 2009) are briefly reviewed. Status and prospects of unknown neutrino properties (smallest mixing angle, Dirac/Majorana nature, absolute masses and their hierarchy) are also discussed.     

Measurement of the neutrino mass splitting and flavor mixing by MINOS

Measurements of neutrino oscillations using the disappearance of muon neutrinos from the Fermilab NuMI neutrino beam as observed by the two MINOS detectors are reported. New analysis methods have been applied to an enlarged data sample from an exposure of 7.25×10(20) protons on target. A fit to neutrino oscillations yields values of |Δm(2)|=(2.32(-0.08)(+0.12))×10(-3) eV(2) for the atmospheric mass splitting and sin(2)(2θ)>0.90 (90% C.L.) for the mixing angle. Pure neutrino decay and quantum decoherence hypotheses are excluded at 7 and 9 standard deviations, respectively.     

Solar neutrino results (from radio-chemical and water cherenkov detectors)

Recent results on solar neutrino measurements are discussed. The results from radio-chemical experiments are briefly summarized. The new data from 1117 effective days of Super-Kamiokande shows that the spectrum shape agrees with that expected from the convoluted effect of the ⁸B-neutrino spectrum, the recoil electron spectrum of neutrino electron scattering and the detector responses and that there is a 3.4% difference between the day- and night-time fluxes, but statistically not significant. There is no strong smoking gun evidence for oscillation yet, however those precise measurements of the spectrum shape and day/night fluxes have given a constraint on the oscillation parameters, indicating at 95% confidence level that the large mixing angles solutions (MSW LMA and LOW) are preferable.     

Self-induced suppression of collective neutrino oscillations in a supernova

We investigate collective flavor oscillations of supernova neutrinos at late stages of the explosion. We first show that the frequently used single-angle (averaged coupling) approximation predicts oscillations close to, or perhaps even inside, the neutrinosphere, potentially invalidating the basic neutrino transport paradigm. Fortunately, we also find that the single-angle approximation breaks down in this regime; in the full multiangle calculation, the oscillations start safely outside the transport region. The new suppression effect is traced to the interplay between the dispersion in the neutrino-neutrino interactions and the vacuum oscillation term.     

Effects of matter oscillations on supernova neutrino flux

If neutrinos have mass it is likely that, as a result of the effect of matter, neutrino flavor eigenstates are converted to mass eigenstates as they emerge from a supernova. In the case of large neutrino mixing angles there can be a significant increase in the mean energy and detected flux of neutrinos from a supernova.     

A statistical analysis of angular distribution of neutrino events observed in Kamiokande II and IMB detectors from supernova SN 1987 A

A detailed statistical analysis of angular distribution of neutrino events observed in Kamiokande II and IMB detectors on UT 07∶35, 2/23'87 is carried out. Distribution functions of the mean scattering angles in the reactions \(\bar \upsilon _e p \to e^ + n\) andve→ve are constructed with account taken of the multiple Coulomb scattering and the experimental angular errors. The Smirnov and Wald-Wolfowitz run tests are used to test the hypothesis that the angular distributions of events from the two detectors agree with each other. We test with the use of the Kolmogorov and Mises statistical criterions the hypothesis that the recorded events all represent \(\bar \upsilon _e p \to e^ + n\) inelastic scatterings. Then the Neyman-Pearson test is applied to each event in testing the hypothesis \(\bar \upsilon _e p \to e^ + n\) against the alternativeve→ve. The hypotheses that the number of elastic events equalss=0, 1, 2, ... against the alternativess≠0, 1, 2, ... are tested on the basis of the generalized likelihood ratio criterion. The confidence intervals for the number of elastic events are also constructed. The current supernova models fail to give a satisfactory account of the angular distribution data.     

Non-abelian gauge structure in neutrino mixing

We discuss the existence of a non-abelian gauge structure associated with flavor mixing. In the specific case of two flavor mixing of Dirac neutrino fields, we show that this reformulation allows to define flavor neutrino states which preserve the Poincaré structure. Phenomenological consequences of our analysis are explored.