Mass varying neutrinos in supernovae

Abstract

We study the consequences on the neutrino oscillation parameter space, mixing angle (tan(2)theta) vacuum mass difference (Delta m(0)(2) when mass varying neutrino (MaVaN) models are assumed in a supernova environment. We consider electronic to sterile channels) nu(e) -> nu(s) and (nu) over bar (e) -> (nu) over bar (s) in two-flavor scenario. In a given model of MaVaN mechanism, we induce a position-dependent effective mass difference, Delta(m) over tilde (2)(r) where r is the distance from the supernova core, that changes the neutrino and antineutrino flavor conversion probabilities. We study the constraints on the mixing angle and vacuum mass difference coming from r-process and the SN1987A data. Our result is the appearance of a new exclusion region for very small mixing angles, tan(2)theta = 10(-6)-10(-2) and small vacuum mass difference, Delta m(0)(2) = 1-20 eV(2), due the MaVaN mechanism.