ASAS-SN follow-up of IceCube high-energy neutrino alerts

We report on the search for optical counterparts to IceCube neutrino alerts released between April 2016 and August 2021 with the All-Sky Automated Survey for SuperNovae (ASAS-SN). Despite the discovery of a diffuse astrophysical high-energy neutrino flux in 2013, the source of those neutrinos remains largely unknown. Since 2016, IceCube has published likely-astrophysical neutrinos as public realtime alerts. Through a combination of normal survey and triggered target-of-opportunity observations, ASAS-SN obtained images within 1 hour of the neutrino detection for 20% (11) of all observable IceCube alerts and within one day for another 57% (32). For all observable alerts, we obtained images within at least two weeks from the neutrino alert. ASAS-SN provides the only optical follow-up for about 17% of IceCube's neutrino alerts. We recover the two previously claimed counterparts to neutrino alerts, the flaring-blazar TXS 0506+056 and the tidal disruption event AT2019dsg. We investigate the light curves of previously-detected transients in the alert footprints, but do not identify any further candidate neutrino sources. We also analysed the optical light curves of Fermi 4FGL sources coincident with high-energy neutrino alerts, but do not identify any contemporaneous flaring activity. Finally, we derive constraints on the luminosity functions of neutrino sources for a range of assumed evolution models

Neutrino follow-up with the Zwicky Transient Facility: Results from the first 24 campaigns

The Zwicky Transient Transient Facility (ZTF) performs a systematic neutrino follow-up program, searching for optical counterparts to high-energy neutrinos with dedicated Target-of-Opportunity (ToO) observations. Since first light in March 2018, ZTF has taken prompt observations for 24 high-quality neutrino alerts from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, with a median latency of 12.2 hours from initial neutrino detection. From two of these campaigns, we have already reported tidal disruption event (TDE) AT2019dsg and likely TDE AT2019fdr as probable counterparts, suggesting that TDEs contribute >7.8% of the astrophysical neutrino flux. We here present the full results of our program through to December 2021. No additional candidate neutrino sources were identified by our program, allowing us to place the first constraints on the underlying optical luminosity function of astrophysical neutrino sources. Transients with optical absolutes magnitudes brighter that -21 can contribute no more than 87% of the total, while transients brighter than -22 can contribute no more than 58% of the total, neglecting the effect of extinction. These are the the first observational constraints on the neutrino emission of bright populations such as superluminous supernovae. None of the neutrinos were coincident with bright optical AGN flares comparable to that observed for TXS 0506+056/IC170922A, suggesting that most astrophysical neutrinos are not produced during such optical flares. We highlight the outlook for electromagnetic neutrino follow-up programs, including the expected potential for the Rubin Observatory.Comment: To be submitted to MNRAS, comments welcome

Cross Correlation of IceCube Neutrinos with Tracers of Large Scale Structure

The origin of most astrophysical neutrinos is unknown, but extragalactic neutrino sources may follow the spatial distribution of the large-scale structure of the universe. Galaxies also follow the same large scale distribution, so establishing a correlation between galaxies and IceCube neutrinos could help identify the origins of the diffuse neutrinos observed by IceCube. Following a preliminary study based on the WISE and 2MASS catalogs, we will investigate an updated galaxy catalog with improved redshift measurements and reduced stellar contamination. Our IceCube data sample consists of track-like muon neutrinos selected from the Northern sky. The excellent angular resolution of track-like events and low contamination with atmospheric muons is necessary for the sensitivity of the analysis. Unlike a point source stacking analysis, the calculation of the cross correlation does not scale with the number of entries in the catalog, making the work tractable for catalogs with millions of objects. We present the development and performance of a two-point cross correlation of IceCube neutrinos with a tracer of the large scale structure

Mechanical design of the optical modules intended for IceCube-Gen2

IceCube-Gen2 is an expansion of the IceCube neutrino observatory at the South Pole that aims to increase the sensitivity to high-energy neutrinos by an order of magnitude. To this end, about 10,000 new optical modules will be installed, instrumenting a fiducial volume of about 8 km3. Two newly developed optical module types increase IceCube’s current sensitivity per module by a factor of three by integrating 16 and 18 newly developed four-inch PMTs in specially designed 12.5-inch diameter pressure vessels. Both designs use conical silicone gel pads to optically couple the PMTs to the pressure vessel to increase photon collection efficiency. The outside portion of gel pads are pre-cast onto each PMT prior to integration, while the interiors are filled and cast after the PMT assemblies are installed in the pressure vessel via a pushing mechanism. This paper presents both the mechanical design, as well as the performance of prototype modules at high pressure (70 MPa) and low temperature (−40∘C), characteristic of the environment inside the South Pole ice

Deep Learning Based Event Reconstruction for the IceCube-Gen2 Radio Detector

The planned in-ice radio array of IceCube-Gen2 at the South Pole will provide unprecedented sensitivity to ultra-high-energy (UHE) neutrinos in the EeV range. The ability of the detector to measure the neutrino’s energy and direction is of crucial importance. This contribution presents an end-to-end reconstruction of both of these quantities for both detector components of the hybrid radio array (\u27shallow\u27 and \u27deep\u27) using deep neural networks (DNNs). We are able to predict the neutrino\u27s direction and energy precisely for all event topologies, including the electron neutrino charged-current (νe-CC) interactions, which are more complex due to the LPM effect. This highlights the advantages of DNNs for modeling the complex correlations in radio detector data, thereby enabling a measurement of the neutrino energy and direction. We discuss how we can use normalizing flows to predict the PDF for each individual event which allows modeling the complex non-Gaussian uncertainty contours of the reconstructed neutrino direction. Finally, we discuss how this work can be used to further optimize the detector layout to improve its reconstruction performance

Direction reconstruction performance for IceCube-Gen2 Radio

The IceCube-Gen2 facility will extend the energy range of IceCube to ultra-high energies. The key component to detect neutrinos with energies above 10 PeV is a large array of in-ice radio detectors. In previous work, direction reconstruction algorithms using the forward-folding technique have been developed for both shallow (≲20 m) and deep in-ice detectors, and have also been successfully used to reconstruct cosmic rays with ARIANNA. Here, we focus on the reconstruction algorithm for the deep in-ice detector, which was recently introduced in the context of the Radio Neutrino Observatory in Greenland (RNO-G)

Sensitivity of the IceCube-Gen2 Surface Array for Cosmic-Ray Anisotropy Studies

The energy of the transition from Galactic to extra-galactic origin of cosmic rays is one of the major unresolved issues of cosmic-ray physics. However, strong constraints can be obtained from studying the anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays. The sensitivity to cosmic-ray anisotropy is, in particular, a matter of statistics. Recently, the cosmic ray anisotropy measurements in the TeV to PeV energy range were updated from IceCube using 11 years of data. The IceCube-Gen2 surface array will cover an area about 8 times larger than the existing IceTop surface array with a corresponding increase in statistics and capability to investigate cosmic-ray anisotropy with higher sensitivity. In this contribution, we present details on the performed simulation studies and sensitivity to the cosmic-ray anisotropy signal for the IceCube-Gen2 surface array

Galactic Core-Collapse Supernovae at IceCube: “Fire Drill” Data Challenges and follow-up

The next Galactic core-collapse supernova (CCSN) presents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to make astrophysical measurements using neutrinos, gravitational waves, and electromagnetic radiation. CCSNe local to the Milky Way are extremely rare, so it is paramount that detectors are prepared to observe the signal when it arrives. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a gigaton water Cherenkov detector below the South Pole, is sensitive to the burst of neutrinos released by a Galactic CCSN at a level >10σ. This burst of neutrinos precedes optical emission by hours to days, enabling neutrinos to serve as an early warning for follow-up observation. IceCube\u27s detection capabilities make it a cornerstone of the global network of neutrino detectors monitoring for Galactic CCSNe, the SuperNova Early Warning System (SNEWS 2.0). In this contribution, we describe IceCube\u27s sensitivity to Galactic CCSNe and strategies for operational readiness, including "fire drill" data challenges. We also discuss coordination with SNEWS 2.0