Neutrino Signatures in Terrestrial Detectors from Two- and Three-Dimensional Core-Collapse Supernovae Simulations

Author

Tanner Brooks Devotie, University of Tennessee - KnoxvilleFollow

Date of Award

12-2015

Degree Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science

Major

Physics

Major Professor

Otis E. Messer

Committee Members

William R. Hix, Andrew W. Steiner

Abstract

Core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe) are driven by neutrino emission and are the most prodigious sources of neutrinos in the Universe. Importantly, the neutrino radiation from CCSNe is emitted from deep in the explosion and can provide information about physical processes taking place in the newly-born neutron star at the heart of the event. We examine the four-flavor (i.e. ν_e, ν_e, ν_x and ν_x) [electron, muon and tau neutrinos along with their anti-matter counterparts] signature of CCSNe neutrino emission in various neutrino detector types. We use data from the multidimensional Chimera (Lentz et al., 2015) code (from both 2D and 3D simulations) and use the SNOwGLoBES package (Beck et al., 2013) to model detector responses to a fiducial galactic CCSNe event at 10 kpc [kiloparsecs]. We find that low resonance MSW [Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein] effects conspire with the flavor and energy dependence of neutrino-sphere depth to produce dominant signals from two- and three-dimensional simulations that are almost indistinguishable. Other channels exhibit differences, many of which can be ascribed to supernova dynamics.

Recommended Citation

Devotie, Tanner Brooks, "Neutrino Signatures in Terrestrial Detectors from Two- and Three-Dimensional Core-Collapse Supernovae Simulations. " Master's Thesis, University of Tennessee, 2015.
https://trace.tennessee.edu/utk_gradthes/3617