Neutrino Flavor Conversion in a Supernova Core

Abstract

If ${\nu }_{\mu }$ or ${\nu }_{\tau }$ mix with ${\nu }_e$, neutrino oscillations and collisions in a supernova (SN) core allow these flavors effectively to participate in $\beta$ equilibrium and thus to obtain a large chemical potential. If a sterile species mixes with ${\nu }_e$, these effects lead to an anomalous loss of energy and lepton number. We study flavor conversion in a SN core on the basis of a new kinetic equation which rigorously includes neutrino interference and degeneneracy effects. Our discussion serves as an example and illustration of the properties of this ``non-abelian Boltzmann equation''.

Comments: 24 pages, 3 figures from authors upon request, LaTeX, MPI-Ph/92-68