Probing Scalar-Induced First-Order Phase Transitions with the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background

@misc{das2026probing,
  title = {{Probing Scalar-Induced First-Order Phase Transitions with the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background}},
  author = {Sudipta Das and Shamik Niyogi and Manibrata Sen},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.19271},
  eprint = {2609.19271},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.19271},
  note = {CC BY 4.0},
}

TY  - UNPB
TI  - Probing Scalar-Induced First-Order Phase Transitions with the Diffuse Supernova Neutrino Background
AU  - Sudipta Das
AU  - Shamik Niyogi
AU  - Manibrata Sen
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/16
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.19271
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.19271
AB  - We investigate the possibility of probing a scalar-induced first-order phase transition (FOPT) inside core-collapse supernovae through the diffuse supernova neutrino background (DSNB). We consider a light scalar coupled to neutrinos that is produced and thermalised in the proto-neutron-star core. This leads to two distinct neutrino components: a prompt contribution from thermally produced scalars and a delayed, spectrally narrow contribution from the decay of coherent scalar excitations due to the FOPT. We study the resulting DSNB signal at Super-Kamiokande, Hyper-Kamiokande, and DUNE, finding a strong dependence on the neutrino mass ordering. The recent Super-Kamiokande data already constrain the scalar parameter space for inverted ordering and quasi-degenerate neutrino masses, while future detectors can significantly improve this sensitivity. Our results demonstrate that DSNB measurements can provide a novel probe of finite-temperature scalar dynamics in core-collapse supernovae.
ER  -