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Title: Signature of supernova neutrino flavor mixing in water [hacek C]erenkov detectors

Journal Article · · Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States)
;  [1]
  1. Department of Physics, 0319, University of California, San Diego, 9500 Gilman Dr., La Jolla, California 92093-0319 (United States)

We study supernova neutrino burst signals in large water [hacek C]erenkov detectors, examining the effects of mixing between [nu][sub [ital e]] and either [nu][sub [mu]] or [nu][sub [tau]], and taking account of charged current [nu][sub [ital e]] capture on oxygen in the detector. We show that the characteristic count rates and angular distributions from supernova neutrino-induced events can depend sensitively on the degree of neutrino flavor mixing. This sensitivity results from the different average energies expected in supernova models for [nu][sub [ital e]] on the one hand and [nu][sub [mu]] and [nu][sub [tau]] on the other, the steep increase in the [sup 16]O([nu][sub [ital e]],[ital e][sup [minus]])[sup 16]F cross section with neutrino energy, and the backward-peaked nature of the exit channel electron in this reaction. Neutrino flavor-mixing effects would be identifiable in the super Kamiokande detector for the neutrino burst of a galactic supernova.

OSTI ID:
5196778
Journal Information:
Physical Review, D (Particles Fields); (United States), Vol. 49:4; ISSN 0556-2821
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English