Point source searches with the ANTARES neutrino telescope

TL;DR

ANTARES, the largest neutrino detector in the Northern Hemisphere, uses its high angular resolution to search for astrophysical point sources, setting restrictive upper limits with early 5-line data.

Contribution

This paper presents the first point source search results using ANTARES 5-line data, demonstrating its capability despite partial deployment.

Findings

Set the most restrictive upper limits in the Southern sky with 5-line data

Demonstrated ANTARES's angular resolution better than 0.3 degrees above 10 TeV

Validated the detector's suitability for astrophysical point source searches

Abstract

With the installation of its last two lines in May 2008, ANTARES is currently the largest neutrino detector in the Northern Hemisphere. The detector comprises 12 detection lines, carrying 884 ten-inch photomultipliers, at a depth of about 2500 m in the Mediterranean Sea, about 40 km off shore Toulon in South France. Thanks to its exceptional angular resolution, better than 0.3 degree above 10 TeV, and its favorable location with the Galactic Center visible 63% of time, ANTARES is specially suited for the search of astrophysical point sources. Since 2007 ANTARES has been taking data in smaller configurations with 5 and 10 lines. With only 5 lines it already has been possible to set the most restrictive upper limits in the Southern sky. In this contribution we present the search of point sources with the 5-line data sample.