I Do supernovae generate neutrinos or antineutrinos?

I
Thread starter swampwiz
Start date Mar 6, 2023
Tags

Neutrinos Supernovae

AI Thread Summary

Supernovae generate both neutrinos and antineutrinos, as evidenced by the detection of antineutrinos during the SN1987A event. Neutrinos are produced in large quantities during a supernova's core collapse, but observational data on neutrinos specifically from supernovae remains limited. The Supernova Early Warning System (SNEWS) utilizes neutrino detectors to monitor potential supernovae in the Milky Way. While there is strong theoretical support for the existence of neutrinos, their direct detection in supernova events has not yet been achieved. The ongoing discussion emphasizes the need for further observational evidence to confirm the expected excess of neutrinos over antineutrinos in these cosmic events.

Apr 3, 2023

Ken G

Gold Member

In summary resolution of the issues raised, it seems that the main difference between what is called a "neutrino" vs. an "antineutrino" is its opposite chirality. So that is likely what the question was about, not the semantics of what label is most appropriate. Since we expect similar numbers of neutrinos of opposite chirality to be released from a SN, the type that gets detected depends on the detecting material. Since this is generally water, and water detects better the chirality we call antineutrinos, this is what we see, which is what @Vanadium 50 said earlier. So I think it's all clear now, but perhaps the additional issues that came up served some purpose.