No Arabic abstract
We would like to discuss prospects for neutrino observations of the core-collapse supernova progenitor during neutrino-cooled stage. We will present new theoretical results on thermal neutrino and antineutrino spectra produced deep inside the pre-supernova core. Three competing processes: pair-, photo and plasma-neutrino production, are taken into account. The results will be used to estimate signal in existing and future neutrino detectors. Chance for supernova prediction is estimated, with possible aid to core-collapse neutrino and gravitational wave detectors in the form of early warning.
Analysis of the massive star properties during C, Ne, O and Si burning i.e. the neutrino-cooled stage, leads to the simplified neutrino emission model. In the framework of this model we have simulated spectrum of the antineutrinos. Flux normalized according to the massive star model with explicitly given neutrino luminosity allow us to predict signal produced in water Cherenkov detectors. The results are discussed from the point of view of the possibility of the core-collapse supernova event prediction in advance of a few days.
In the late stages of nuclear burning for massive stars ($M>8~M_{sun}$), the production of neutrino-antineutrino pairs through various processes becomes the dominant stellar cooling mechanism. As the star evolves, the energy of these neutrinos increases and in the days preceding the supernova a significant fraction of emitted electron anti-neutrinos exceeds the energy threshold for inverse beta decay on free hydrogen. This is the golden channel for liquid scintillator detectors because the coincidence signature allows for significant reductions in background signals. We find that the kiloton-scale liquid scintillator detector KamLAND can detect these pre-supernova neutrinos from a star with a mass of $25~M_{sun}$ at a distance less than 690~pc with 3$sigma$ significance before the supernova. This limit is dependent on the neutrino mass ordering and background levels. KamLAND takes data continuously and can provide a supernova alert to the community.
The signal produced in neutrino observatories by the pair-annihilation neutrinos emitted from a 20 $M_{odot}$ pre-supernova star at the silicon burning phase is estimated. The spectrum of the neutrinos with an average energy $sim$2 MeV is calculated with the use of the Monte Carlo method. A few relevant reactions for neutrinos and anti-neutrinos in modern detectors are considered. The most promising results are from $bar{ u}_e + p longrightarrow n + e^{+}$ reaction. During the Si-burning phase we expect 1.27 neutrons/day/kiloton of water to be produced by neutrinos from a star located at a distance of 1 kpc. Small admixture of effective neutron-absorbers as e.g. NaCl or GdCl$_{3}$ makes these neutrons easily visible because of Cherenkov light produced by electrons which were hit by $sim$8 MeV photon cascade emitted by Cl or Gd nuclei. The estimated rate of neutron production for SNO and Super-Kamiokande is, respectively, 2.2 and 41 events per day for a star at 1 kpc. For future detectors UNO and Hyper-Kamiokande we expect 5.6 and 6.9 events per day even for a star 10 kpc away. This would make it possible to foresee a massive star death a few days before its core collapse. Importance of such a detection for theoretical astrophysics is discussed.
Supernova detection is a major objective of the Super-Kamiokande (SK) experiment. In the next stage of SK (SK-Gd), gadolinium (Gd) sulfate will be added to the detector, which will improve the ability of the detector to identify neutrons. A core-collapse supernova will be preceded by an increasing flux of neutrinos and anti-neutrinos, from thermal and weak nuclear processes in the star, over a timescale of hours; some of which may be detected at SK-Gd. This could provide an early warning of an imminent core-collapse supernova, hours earlier than the detection of the neutrinos from core collapse. Electron anti-neutrino detection will rely on inverse beta decay events below the usual analysis energy threshold of SK, so Gd loading is vital to reduce backgrounds while maximising detection efficiency. Assuming normal neutrino mass ordering, more than 200 events could be detected in the final 12 hours before core collapse for a 15-25 solar mass star at around 200 pc, which is representative of the nearest red supergiant to Earth, $mathrm{alpha}$Ori (Betelgeuse). At a statistical false alarm rate of 1 per century, detection could be up to 10 hours before core collapse, and a pre-supernova star could be detected by SK-Gd up to 600 pc away. A pre-supernova alert could be provided to the astrophysics community following gadolinium loading.
The neutrino burst from a galactic supernova can help determine the neutrino mass hierarchy and $theta_{13}$, and provide crucial information about supernova astrophysics. Here we review our current understanding of the neutrino burst, flavor