The Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background

Abstract

The Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background (DSNB) is the weak glow of MeV neutrinos and antineutrinos from distant core-collapse supernovae. The DSNB has not been detected yet, but the Super-Kamiokande (SK) 2003 upper limit on the electron antineutrino flux is close to predictions, now quite precise, based on astrophysical data. If SK is modified with dissolved gadolinium to reduce detector backgrounds and increase the energy range for analysis, then it should detect the DSNB at a rate of a few events per year, providing a new probe of supernova neutrino emission and the cosmic core-collapse rate. If the DSNB is not detected, then new physics will be required. Neutrino astronomy, while uniquely powerful, has proven extremely difficult -- only the Sun and the nearby Supernova 1987A have been detected to date -- so the promise of detecting new sources soon is exciting indeed.

Submitted to Annual Review of Nuclear and Particle Science, Volume 60. 25 pages with 7 figures.

References in corpus (19)

• Neutron Star Observations: Prognosis for Equation of State Constraints
• Theory of Core-Collapse Supernovae
• The death of massive stars - I. Observational constraints on the progenitors of type II-P supernovae
• The Initial-Final Mass Relation: Direct Constraints at the Low Mass End
• Fallback and Black Hole Production in Massive Stars
• Multiple Spectral Splits of Supernova Neutrinos
• The Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background is detectable in Super-Kamiokande
• Dense Matter in Compact Stars: Theoretical Developments and Observational Constraints
• Coherent Development of Neutrino Flavor in the Supernova Environment
• Neutrino Constraints on the Dark Matter Total Annihilation Cross Section
• Underground Neutrino Detectors for Particle and Astroparticle Science: the Giant Liquid Argon Charge Imaging ExpeRiment (GLACIER)
• Diffuse neutrino flux from failed supernovae
• Neutrinos from Fallback onto Newly Formed Neutron Stars
• Observation of Neutrons with a Gadolinium Doped Water Cerenkov Detector
• Direct Measurement of Supernova Neutrino Emission Parameters with a Gadolinium-Enhanced Super-Kamiokande Detector
• Effect of Collective Flavor Oscillations on the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background
• Probing Late Neutrino Mass Properties with Supernova Neutrinos
• Generalized Space-time Noncommutative Inflation
• Testing neutrino spectra formation in collapsing stars with the diffuse supernova neutrino flux