LAUSR.org creates dashboard-style pages of related content for over 1.5 million academic articles. Sign Up to like articles & get recommendations!

POEMMA’s target-of-opportunity sensitivity to cosmic neutrino transient sources

Photo from wikipedia

We calculate the sensitivity of space-based cosmic neutrino detection from transient sources in the context of the Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA) mission using Target-of-Opportunity (ToO) observations. POEMMA uses… Click to show full abstract

We calculate the sensitivity of space-based cosmic neutrino detection from transient sources in the context of the Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA) mission using Target-of-Opportunity (ToO) observations. POEMMA uses two spacecraft each with a large Schmidt telescope to simultaneously view the optical signals generated by extensive air showers (EASs). POEMMA is designed for both ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray and very-high-energy neutrino measurements. POEMMA has significant neutrino sensitivity starting in the 10 PeV decade via measurements of Cherenkov signals from upward-moving EASs initiated by tau neutrinos interacting in the Earth. For ToO observations, POEMMA uses the ability to quickly repoint ($90^\circ$ in 500 s) each of the two spacecraft to the direction of the transient source. POEMMA EAS measurements are performed during astronomical night, leading to different observational constraints for short- and long-duration bursts. For short-bursts of order $10^3$ s, POEMMA will increase the sensitivity of existing experiments (e.g., IceCube and the Pierre Auger Observatory) by up to two orders of magnitude. For long-duration bursts on the scale of $10^{5-6}$ s, the full celestial sky is available and the average neutrino sensitivity will be increased by up to a factor of 50, reaching the desired level to probe model predictions of transient neutrino sources (e.g., of blazar flares as well as both black hole-black hole and neutron star-neutron star mergers). POEMMA's neutrino sensitivity to various models of transient neutrino sources are detailed. Altogether, our results demonstrate better sensitivity to ToO neutrino sources from the space-based POEMMA experiment compared to current ground-based experiments, and more importantly, demonstrate unique full-sky coverage for ToO neutrino sources.

Keywords: cosmic neutrino; target opportunity; transient sources; neutrino; sensitivity

Journal Title: Physical Review D
Year Published: 2020

Link to full text (if available)


Share on Social Media:                               Sign Up to like & get
recommendations!

Related content

More Information              News              Social Media              Video              Recommended



                Click one of the above tabs to view related content.