A search for neutrinos from gravitational collapse with the MACRO experiment

Author: Scholberg, Kate

Year: 1997

Degree: Dissertation (Ph.D.)

Advisors: Peck, Charles W.; Barish, Barry C.

Committee Member: Unknown, Unknown

Option: Physics

DOI: 10.7907/NTDF-3V84

Abstract

The MACRO experiment, an underground scintillator/streamer tube array at the Gran Sasso Laboratory in Italy, is capable of detecting a burst of neutrinos from a stellar gravitational collapse using its 560 tons of liquid scintillator. The detector is sensitive to a collapse event in or nearby our galaxy. Two redundant circuits trigger on GC neutrino-like events. This thesis will describe a search for a gravitational collapse burst with MACRO over a time period starting July 24, 1995 and ending February 8, 1996, using both trigger systems. No candidate bursts were observed over this time.

Since neutrinos emerge from a collapsing star promptly after core collapse whereas electromagnetic radiation can follow hours or days later, the MACRO detector can provide an early warning to optical astronomers that a supernova event may appear. MACRO's redundant online supernova watch systems will also be described.

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