Effects of Neutrino Oscillation on the Supernova Relic Neutrino Background

Abstract

We investigate to what extent the oscillation or conversion of neutrinos enhances the expected event rate of the supernova relic neutrino background (SRN) at the Super-Kamiokande detector (SK). The SRN \bar\nu_e's can be almost completely exchanged with \nu_\mu-like neutrinos by the MSW oscillation under the inverse mass hierarchy with \Delta m^2 ~ 10^{-8}--10^5 [eV^2], or by the magnetic moment of Majorana neutrinos with \mu_\nu >~ 10^{-12} \mu_B and \Delta m^2 ~ 10^{-4}--10^0 [eV^2]. In the standard calculation of the SRN flux, the event rate of the SRN \bar\nu_e's at the SK in the observable energy range of 15--40 MeV can be enhanced from 1.2 yr^{-1} to 2.4 yr^{-1} if all \bar\nu_e's are exchanged with \nu_\mu-like neutrinos. The enhancement is prominent especially in the high energy range (\gtilde 25 MeV). In the astrophysically optimistic calculation, the event rate becomes as high as 9.4 yr^{-1}. Because the theoretical upper bound of the SRN events without oscillation is about 5 yr^{-1} taking account of the various astrophysical uncertainties, we might have to resort to the neutrino oscillation if more than 5 events in a year, as well as a significantly harder spectrum, were observed in the SK.