Paper detail

Towards Probing the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background in All Flavors

Fully understanding the average core-collapse supernova requires detecting the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB) in all flavors. While the DSNB $\barν_e$ flux is near detection, and the DSNB $ν_e$ flux has a good upper limit and prospects for improvement, the DSNB $ν_x$ (each of $ν_μ, ν_τ, \barν_μ, \barν_τ$) flux has a poor limit and heretofore had no clear path for improved sensitivity. We show that a succession of xenon-based dark matter detectors -- XENON1T (completed), XENONnT/LUX-ZEPLIN (running), and DARWIN (proposed) -- can dramatically improve sensitivity to DSNB $ν_x$ the neutrino-nucleus coherent scattering channel. XENON1T could match the present sensitivity of $\sim 10^3 \; \mathrm{cm}^{-2}~\mathrm{s}^{-1}$ per $ν_x$ flavor, XENONnT/LUX-ZEPLIN would have linear improvement of sensitivity with exposure, and a long run of DARWIN could reach a flux sensitivity of $\sim 10 \; \mathrm{cm}^{-2}~\mathrm{s}^{-1}$. Together, these would also contribute to greatly improve bounds on non-standard scenarios. Ultimately, to reach the standard flux range of $\sim 1 \; \mathrm{cm}^{-2}~\mathrm{s}^{-1}$, even larger exposures will be needed, which we show may be possible with the series of proposed lead-based RES-NOVA detectors.