Physics Colloquium - Preparing for the Next Galactic Supernova with Neutrinos from the SNS

When the next galactic supernova occurs, an immense wave of neutrinos will pass through the Earth. These neutrinos not only provide information on the final moments of a dying star, but can also reveal properties of the neutrino, and even provide advance notice of the explosion to astronomers. Supernovae emit neutrinos of all flavors, but the majority of existing detectors are primarily sensitive to only one component of the supernova neutrino flux. Neutrino-nucleus scattering offers a way to detect the other components, providing a more complete picture of these rare events. However, our understanding of neutrino-nucleus interactions is limited. The Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) at Oak Ridge National Laboratory creates an intense flux of neutrinos with energies similar to those of supernova neutrinos. The COHERENT collaboration uses this "Supernova Neutrino Simulator" to measure neutrino-nucleus scattering, improving our understanding of these interactions and enhancing our ability to decode future stellar explosions.