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  • Letter
  • Open Access

Constraints on neutrino-Majoron coupling using SN1987A data

Pilar Iváñez-Ballesteros1,* and M. Cristina Volpe2,†

  • *Contact author: ivanez@apc.in2p3.fr
  • †Contact author: volpe@apc.in2p3.fr
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Phys. Rev. D 112, L101301 – Published 5 November, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/d4vp-m261

Abstract

Neutrino decay to a lighter neutrino and a massless or almost massless (pseudo)scalar Goldstone boson remains of wide interest, as in the search for ultralight dark matter or neutrinoless double beta decay, and for its implications in astrophysics and cosmology. Neutrino interactions with Majorons can affect the dynamics of supernovae and impact the emitted neutrino flux. Using a three-neutrino framework and detailed supernova simulations, we perform the first likelihood analysis of the 24 neutrino events from SN1987A, including nonradiative decay in matter to a massless (pseudo)scalar boson like a Majoron. Focusing on the induced spectral distortions, we present bounds on the neutrino-Majoron couplings, as a function of the lightest neutrino mass, that are either complementary or competitive with current ones.

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Outline

Information

Phys. Rev. D 112, L101301– Published 5 November, 2025
  • Received 15 October 2024
  • Revised 12 February 2025
  • Accepted 10 October 2025
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Published by the American Physical Society under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International license. Further distribution of this work must maintain attribution to the author(s) and the published article’s title, journal citation, and DOI. Funded by SCOAP3.

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