New Supernova Constraints on Sterile Neutrino Production

Abstract

We consider the possibility that a light sterile-neutrino species ${\nu }_S$ can be produced by ${\nu }_e$ scattering during the cooling of a proto-neutron star. If we parameterize the sterile neutrino production cross-section by a parameter $A$ as $\sigma ({\nu }_{e}X\to {\nu }_{S}X)=A\sigma ({\nu }_{e}X\to {\nu }_{e}X)$, where $X$ is an electron, neutron or proton, we show that $A$ is constrained by limits to the conversion of ${\nu }_e$ to ${\nu }_S$ in the region between the sterile-neutrino trapping region and the electron-neutrino trapping region. This consideration excludes values of $A$ in the range between $10^{-4}\text{la}A\text{la}10^{-1}$.

Comments: 12 pages; Latex