Massive tau-neutrino and SN1987A
May 20, 1994
24 pages
Published in:
- Phys.Rev.D 51 (1995) 1499-1509
e-Print:
- astro-ph/9405036 [astro-ph]
PDG: MASS (tau based)
Report number:
- FERMILAB-PUB-94-001-A
Citations per year
Abstract: (arXiv)
The emission of \MeV-mass tau neutrinos from newly formed neutron stars is considered in a simple, but accurate, model based upon the diffusion approximation. The tau-neutrinosphere temperature is found to increase with mass so that emission of massive tau neutrinos is not suppressed by the Boltzmann factor previously used, (\mnu /T_\nu )^{1.5}\exp(-\mnu/T_{\nu}), where T_{\nu}\sim 4\MeV -8\MeV. If the tau neutrino decays to electron neutrinos, then for short lifetimes (\taunu\la10^{-3}\sec) the location of both the tau and electron neutrinospheres can be affected, and, for very short lifetimes (\tau_\nu \la 10^{-6}\sec) its temperature falls below 1\MeV, in conflict with neutrino observations of Supernova 1987A (SN 87A). Using our results, we revise limits to the mass/lifetime of an \MeV-mass tau neutrino based upon SN 87A. Our constraints, together with bounds based upon primordial nucleosynthesis and the laboratory mass limit of around 30\MeV, exclude the possibility of a tau neutrino more massive than 0.4\MeV if the dominant decay mode is radiative. Finally, we speculate on the possible role a 15\MeV -25\MeV tau neutrino might play in the supernova explosion itself.- n: matter
- diffusion: approximation
- astrophysics: supernova
- neutrino: decay
- decay: neutrino
- neutrino: lifetime
- neutrino: energy
- temperature
- transport theory
- numerical calculations: interpretation of experiments
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