Spin-Flavour Oscillations and Neutrinos from SN1987A

Abstract

The neutrino signal from SN1987A is analysed with respect to spin-flavour oscillations between electron antineutrinos, ${\bar{\nu }}_e$, and muon neutrinos, ${\nu }_{\mu }$, by means of a maximum likelihood analysis. Following Jegerlehner et al. best fit values for the total energy released in neutrinos, $E_t$, and the temperature of the electron antineutrino, $T_{{\bar{\nu }}_e}$, for a range of mixing parameters and progenitor models are calculated. In particular the dependence of the inferred quantities on the metallicity of the supernova is investigated and the uncertainties involved in using the neutrino signal to determine the neutrino magnetic moment are pointed out.

Comments: 14 pages, RevTeX, 4 figures, to appear in Physical Review D