Phenomenology of Astrophysical Neutrinos

这个项目位于理论核物理和粒子天体物理之间。具体地说，这项研究涉及中微子的物理学，中微子是恒星和星系中大量产生的基本粒子。这些“天体物理”中微子已经在地球上被观测到了，预计不久的将来还会有更多的观测。在这种背景下，PI将进行的理论研究将在理解实验数据方面发挥重要作用，并将允许对恒星中发生的基本过程和中微子属性所起的具体作用有新的见解。此外，这一最先进的研究项目将为学生的培养提供极好的机会。粒子天体物理学的一个主要研究领域涉及来自核心塌缩超新星的O(10)MeV中微子的物理学，这为即将到来的中微子探测器提供了一个战略机遇。计划研究这些探测器的潜力，以最小的理论先验来测量星系超新星爆发的中微子的振荡概率，以区分不同的振荡情景。在恒星成为超新星的前几个小时，可能可以探测到来自硅燃烧阶段的中微子。这些中微子的流量将被详细建模，使用一种新的计算方法，其中包括核β过程。超新星中微子也可以以来自宇宙超新星群体的弥散通量的形式被探测到。鉴于最近的发展，将振兴对这一通量的研究，重点放在可探测性和从扩散通量测量重要物理量的可能性上。在较高能量E~TeV-PeV下，2013年发现了地外中微子。该项目认为恒星的形成可能是这些中微子的来源。将定量研究中微子数据与已知高星形成区的位置重合，并建立这些区域中微子产生的理论模型。该项目由数学与物理科学局的物理部和天文科学部共同资助。

This project sits at the boundary between theoretical nuclear physics and particle astrophysics. Specifically, this research concerns the physics of neutrinos, elementary particles that are produced abundantly in stars and galaxies. These "astrophysical" neutrinos have been observed at Earth already and many more observations are expected in the near future. In this context, the theoretical research to be performed by the PI will play an important role in understanding the experimental data and will allow for new insights regarding the fundamental processes that take place in stars and the specific role played by the neutrino properties. In addition, this state-of-the-art research project will provide excellent opportunities for the training of students. A major area of investigation in particle astrophysics concerns the physics of O(10) MeV neutrinos from core-collapse supernovae that presents a strategic opportunity for upcoming neutrino detectors. It is planned to study the potential of these detectors to measure the oscillation probabilities of neutrinos from a galactic supernova burst, with minimal theoretical priors, to distinguish different oscillation scenarios. Hours before a star becomes a supernova, neutrinos from the Silicon burning phase might be detectable. The flux of these neutrinos will be modeled in detail, using a new calculation method that includes the nuclear beta processes. Supernova neutrinos can also be detected in the form of diffuse flux from the cosmic population of supernovae. The study of this flux will be revitalized in the light of recent developments, with focus on detectability, and on the potential to measure important physical quantities from the diffuse flux. At higher energies, E ~ TeV - PeV, extraterrestrial neutrinos were discovered in 2013. This project considers star formation as a possible origin of these neutrinos. Positional coincidences of the neutrino data with known high-star formation regions will be studied quantitatively, and theory models of neutrino production in these regions will be developed.This project is co-funded by the Division of Physics and the Division of Astronomical Sciences in the Directorate of Mathematical & Physical Sciences.