Neutrino induced waves in degenerate electron plasmas: a mechanism in supernovae or gamma ray bursts?

We consider a process related to the inverse of photon/plasmon decay to neu trino-antineutrino pairs; the stimulated emission of photons and plasmons b y the intense flux of neutrinos and antineutrinos present during the neutri no burst of a core collapse supernova. We find physically insignificant emi ssion and plasma heating unless a magnetic field is present, with strength >10(15) G. For plasma electron temperatures similar to 1 MeV, a population of waves enhanced over thermal levels in the postshock plasma is also requi red. The magnetic field is consistent with recent theory and observations c oncerning highly magnetic pulsars, known as magnetars. The status of this f ield is briefly reviewed, and the possibility that this instability might a lso apply to models of gamma ray bursts is also explored. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science B.V. All rights reserved.