Speaker
Description
Binary neutron star (BNS) mergers produce intense bursts of $\mathcal{O}(10)$ MeV neutrinos, but their low rate and typically large distances make detection extremely challenging. We revisit the prospects for observing the first neutrino from a BNS merger using updated merger rates and emission models, and find that detection is unlikely in current experiments, instead requiring next-generation megaton-scale detectors. While the basic idea of searching for merger neutrinos in coincidence with gravitational-wave events has been discussed in the literature, we include the time-of-flight delay from nonzero neutrino mass and show that it significantly modifies the optimal search strategy. In particular, we develop an efficient search strategy using energy-dependent timing windows and redshift cuts that can further improve the signal-to-background ratio. We determine the observation time required to detect a single BNS merger neutrino as a function of the upper bound on the lightest neutrino mass. Once detected, the relative timing of the neutrino and gravitational-wave signals can probe the neutrino mass scale, with sensitivity that can exceed both current KATRIN bounds and projected sensitivities from galactic supernovae.