1110.4848 (John Ellis et al.)

Probing Lorentz Violation in Neutrino Propagation from a Core-Collapse
Supernova    [PDF]

John Ellis, Hans-Thomas Janka, Nikolaos E. Mavromatos, Alexander S. Sakharov, Edward K. G. Sarkisyan

Supernova explosions provide the most sensitive probes of neutrino
propagation, such as the possibility that neutrino velocities might be affected
by the foamy structure of space-time thought to be generated by
quantum-gravitational (QG) effects. Recent two-dimensional simulations of the
neutrino emissions from core-collapse supernovae suggest that they might
exhibit variations in time on the scale of a few milliseconds. We analyze
simulations of such neutrino emissions using a wavelet technique, and consider
the limits that might be set on a linear or quadratic violation of Lorentz
invariance in the group velocities of neutrinos of different energies, v/c = [1
\pm (E/M_{nuLV1})] or [1 \pm (E/M_{\nuLV2})^2], if variations on such short
time scales were to be observed, where the mass scales M_{nuLVi} might appear
in models of quantum gravity. We find prospective sensitivities to M_{nuLV1} ~
2 X 10^{13} GeV and M_{nuLV2} ~ 10^6 GeV at the 95% confidence level, up to two
orders of magnitude beyond estimates made using previous one-dimensional
simulations of core-collapse supernovae. We also analyze the prospective
sensitivities to scenarios in which the propagation times of neutrinos of fixed
energies are subject to stochastic fluctuations.

View original: http://arxiv.org/abs/1110.4848