HEP Colloquia 2024

by Alessio Ludovico De Santis (GSSI)

Monday 18 Mar 2024, 14:30 → 16:00 Europe/Rome

Sala Consiliare (Department of Physics)

Cosmic Fireworks in Dark matter experiments - Supernova Neutrinos with COSINUS

Neutrinos are often regarded as an unwelcome background in dark matter experiments as their exposure and sensitivity increase. Nonetheless, these particles unveil a novel path for scientific investigation in such experiments: the detection of core-collapse supernovae (CC-SN).
Core-collapse supernovae stand out as some of the most energetic events in the universe, emitting the bulk of their energy in a brief burst of a vast number of neutrinos. This contribution will cover research conducted within the framework of COSINUS (Cryogenic Observatory for Signatures seen in Next-generation Underground Searches), focusing on the neutrino signal from a galactic CC-SN within the detector. The design of the experiment incorporates two distinct sections. The central part of the experiment will employ NaI crystals as scintillating calorimeters, primarily detecting nearby CC-SNe (within 1 kpc). These crystals will be installed at the center of a large cylindrical water tank, which serves as both passive and active shield, equipped with photomultiplier tubes working as Cherenkov detectors. Exploiting the tank's large volume, the experiment is expected to achieve a sensitivity that extends up to the edge of the Milky Way (< 30 kpc).
In this talk, I will present the general analysis applied in this research, with a particular emphasis on the theoretical frameworks and computational algorithms required to estimate the CC-SN event rate across various materials. Starting from event rate calculations in NaI and H₂O, the methodology for expanding these estimates to a broader spectrum of experimental setups will be detailed.