Supernova Neutrino Detection in Borexino

Abstract

We calculated the expected neutrino signal in Borexino from a typical Type II supernova at a distance of 10 kpc. A burst of around 110 events would appear in Borexino within a time interval of about 10 s. Most of these events would come from the reaction channel ${\bar{\nu }}_e+p\to e^{+}+n$, while about 30 events would be induced by the interaction of the supernova neutrino flux on ${}^{12}$C in the liquid scintillator. Borexino can clearly distinguish between the neutral-current excitations ${}^{12}C(\nu ,{\nu }^{\prime }{)}^{12}{C}^{\ast }$(15.11 MeV) and the charged-current reactions ${}^{12}C({\nu }_e,e^{-}{)}^{12}N$ and ${}^{12}C({\bar{\nu }}_e,e^{+}{)}^{12}B$, via their distinctive event signatures. The ratio of the charged-current to neutral-current neutrino event rates and their time profiles with respect to each other can provide a handle on supernova and non-standard neutrino physics (mass and flavor oscillations).

Comments: 19 pages, including 11 figures, submitted to Astroparticle Physics