Supernova neutrinos can tell us the neutrino mass hierarchy independently of flux models

Abstract

We demonstrate that the detection of shock modulations of the neutrino spectra from a galactic core-collapse supernova is sufficient to obtain a high significance determination of the neutrino mass hierarchy if the supernova event is observed in both a Mton-class water Cherenkov detector and a 100 kton-class liquid argon detector. Neither detailed supernova neutrino flux modelling nor observation of Earth matter effects is needed for this determination. As a corollary, a nonzero value of \theta_x will be established.

Comments: 16 pages, 3 figures. Version to appear in PLB