Impact of sterile neutrino dark matter on core-collapse supernovae
Abstract
We summarize the impact of sterile neutrino dark matter on core-collapse supernova explosions. We explore various oscillations between electron neutrinos or mixed μ - τ 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 μ - τ 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.
- Publication:
-
International Journal of Modern Physics A
- Pub Date:
- September 2016
- DOI:
- arXiv:
- arXiv:1603.05503
- Bibcode:
- 2016IJMPA..3150137W
- Keywords:
-
- Supernova neutrinos;
- dark matter theory;
- core-collapse supernovae;
- 95.35.+d;
- 14.60.St;
- 15.50.+x;
- 97.60.Bw;
- 14.60.Pq;
- Dark matter;
- Non-standard-model neutrinos right-handed neutrinos etc.;
- Supernovae;
- Neutrino mass and mixing;
- Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena;
- High Energy Physics - Phenomenology
- E-Print:
- 18 pages, 6 figures, submitted to Modern Physics Letters A