Effects of neutrino-electron scattering on neutrino transport in type II supernovae

We investigate the effects of neutrino-electron scattering on electron-neutrino transport during the collapse phase of a Type II supernova. Calculations of stationary state transport were performed on a 1.17 M. spherically symmetric infall model, with neutrino-electron scattering turned off and on, During the transport calculation, the stellar background is kept fixed in time. In this manner, we are able to isolate the effects of neutrino-electron scattering on neutrino transport alone. We find that the inclusion of neutrino-electron scattering approximately doubles the emitted neutrino flux during infall. Neutrino-electron scattering increases the rate at which energy and lepton number are transferred from the matter to the neutrinos. However, the transfer of entropy to the matter increases in a large part of the collapsing core. We also discuss the equilibration of the neutrinos.