Neutrino Flavors in Astronomy

The electron neutrino and antineutrino are the neutrino flavors of the most direct relevance in most of astronomy. For example, the neutrinos produced in the PP chain or the CNO cycle are electron neutrinos.

But all neutrino flavors may play a role in particular events like supernova explosions and the evolution of the very early Universe. In addition, with the discovery of neutrino flavor oscillations (see later in this module), we now know that as neutrinos travel from one place to another they can change their flavor.