Back to Search Start Over

Impact of sterile neutrino dark matter on core-collapse supernovae

Authors :
Warren, MacKenzie L.
Mathews, Grant J.
Meixner, Matthew
Hidaka, Jun
Kajino, Toshitaka
Publication Year :
2016

Abstract

We summarize the impact of sterile neutrino dark matter on core-collapse supernova explosions. We explore various oscillations between electron neutrinos or mixed $\mu-\tau$ neutrinos and right-handed sterile neutrinos that may occur within a core-collapse supernova. In particular, we consider sterile neutrino masses and mixing angles that are consistent with sterile neutrino dark matter candidates as indicated by recent X-ray flux measurements. We find that the interpretation of the observed 3.5 keV X-ray excess as due to a decaying 7 keV sterile neutrino that comprises 100\% of the dark matter would have almost no observable effect on supernova explosions. However, in the more realistic case in which the decaying sterile neutrino comprises only a small fraction of the total dark matter density due to the presence of other sterile neutrino flavors, WIMPs, etc., a larger mixing angle is allowed. In this case a 7 keV sterile neutrino could have a significant impact on core-collapse supernovae. We also consider mixing between $\mu-\tau$ neutrinos and sterile neutrinos. We find, however, that this mixing does not significantly alter the explosion and has no observable effect on the neutrino luminosities at early times.<br />Comment: 18 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Modern Physics Letters A

Details

Database :
arXiv
Publication Type :
Report
Accession number :
edsarx.1603.05503
Document Type :
Working Paper
Full Text :
https://doi.org/10.1142/S0217751X16501372