Spinning supernovae could reveal secrets of neutrino physics
Physicists have mapped how stellar rotation changes neutrino emissions from dying massive stars, potentially unlocking a new way to detect invisible particles and measure cosmic distances. The finding could sharpen how scientists use future supernova observations to answer fundamental questions about neutrino properties—opening commercial opportunities in detector technology and astrophysical forecasting.
Originaltitel: Rotational effects on neutrino emission in core-collapse supernovae
<p>All stars rotate. While magnetic braking slows massive stars, the effect a stellar companion has on stellar rotation is still being explored. To prepare for future observations from rotating core-collapse supernovae (CCSNe), we analyze a set of 30 2D neutrino-radiation hydrodynamic CCSN simulations for a variety of compactness values, rotation rates, and equations of state. We systematically explore how rotation lowers expected neutrino counts and energies for a realistic detector, while accounting for adiabatic Mikheyev-Smirnov-Wolfenstein matter effects. We quantify the effect of viewing angle for neutrino emission for multiple rotation rates. Using “multimessenger synthesis,” we develop a technique that correlates multimessengers to constrain the neutrino mass ordering for a future supernova event. Likewise, we develop a method to constrain the distance to a rotating or nonrotating CCSN, regardless of explosion outcome.</p>