Neutrino flavor as a test of the explosion mechanism of core-collapse supernovae

Abstract

We study the ratio of neutrino-proton elastic scattering to inverse beta decay event counts, measurable in a scintillation detector like JUNO, as a key observable for identifying the explosion mechanism of a galactic core-collapse supernova. If the supernova is not powered by the core but rather, e.g., by collapse-induced thermonuclear explosion, then a prolonged period of accretion-dominated neutrino luminosity is predicted. Using 1D numerical simulations, we show that the distinct resulting flavor composition of the neutrino burst can be tested in JUNO with high significance, overcoming theoretical uncertainties in the progenitor star profile and equation of state.