arXiv subjects

Zidu Lin

Publications and source records attributed to Zidu Lin.

21 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2017

Neutrino scattering in supernovae and spin correlations of a unitary gas

Core collapse supernova simulations can be sensitive to neutrino interactions near the neutrinosphere. This is the surface of last scattering. We model the neutrinosphere region as a warm unitary gas of neutrons. A unitary gas is a low density system of particles with large scattering lengths. We calculate modifications to neutrino scattering cross sections because of the universal spin and density correlations of a unitary gas. These correlations can be studied in laboratory cold atom experiments. We find significant reductions in cross sections, compared to free space interactions, even at relatively low densities. These reductions could reduce the delay time from core bounce to successful explosion in multidimensional supernova simulations.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

Nuclear pasta and supernova neutrinos at late times

Nuclear pasta, with nucleons arranged into tubes, sheets, or other complex shapes, is expected in core collapse supernovae (SNe) at just below nuclear density. We calculate the additional opacity from neutrino-pasta coherent scattering using molecular dynamics simulations. We approximately include this opacity in simulations of SNe. We find that pasta slows neutrino diffusion and greatly increases the neutrino signal at late times of 10 or more seconds after stellar core collapse. This signal, for a galactic SN, should be clearly visible in large detectors such as Super-Kamiokande.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2016

Neutrino-nucleon scattering in supernova matter from the virial expansion

We generalize our virial approach to study the neutral current neutrino response of nuclear matter at low densities. In the long-wavelength limit, the virial expansion makes model-independent predictions for neutrino-nucleon scattering rates and the density S_V and spin S_A responses. We find S_A is significantly reduced from one even at low densities. We provide a simple fit S_A^f(n,T,Y_p) of the axial response as a function of density n, temperature T and proton fraction Y_p. This fit reproduces our model independent virial results at low densities and reproduces the Burrows and Sawyer random phase approximation (RPA) results at high densities. Our fit can be incorporated into supernova simulations in a straight forward manner. Preliminary one dimensional supernova simulations suggest that the reduction in the axial response may enhance neutrino heating rates in the gain region during the accretion phase of a core-collapse supernovae.

nucl-th↗