Neutrino diagnostics of supernova explosions at DUNE

Core-collapse supernovae release nearly all their gravitational energy as neutrinos, offering a unique probe of both stellar dynamics and neutrino physics. This thesis studies how neutrino flavor conversions, influenced by matter effects and shock-wave propagation, shape the observable signal at the Deep Underground Neutrino Experiment (DUNE). Two simplified supernova density models—one with a single forward shock and one including a termination shock—are analyzed to assess their impact on flavor evolution. The resulting time- and energy-dependent neutrino fluxes reveal potential signatures of non-adiabatic transitions in the DUNE detector. These features could serve as diagnostics of shock dynamics in the stellar envelope. The study highlights DUNE’s unique sensitivity to electron-neutrino bursts as a window into the physics of supernova explosions.