Search for transient neutrino sources with IceCube

TL;DR

This paper discusses IceCube's search for transient astrophysical neutrino sources, including methods for detecting neutrinos from phenomena like GRBs and supernovae, and presents initial results and limits.

Contribution

It introduces combined offline and online search strategies for transient neutrino sources and reports on the first limits on relativistic jets in supernovae.

Findings

First limit on relativistic jets in supernovae

Successful online neutrino multiplet triggering

Constraints on neutrino emission from GRBs

Abstract

The IceCube detector, which is embedded in the glacial ice at the geographic South Pole, is the first neutrino telescope to comprise a volume of one cubic kilometer. The search for neutrinos of astrophysical origin is among the primary goals of IceCube. Point source candidates include Galactic objects such as supernova remnants (SNRs) as well as extragalactic objects such as Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) and Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs). Offline and online searches for transient sources like GRBs and supernovae (SNe) are presented. Triggered searches use satellite measurements from Fermi, SWIFT and Konus. Complementary to the triggered offline search, an online neutrino multiplet selection allows IceCube to trigger a network of optical telescopes, which can then identify a possible electromagnetic counterpart. This allows to probe for mildly relativistic jets in SNe and hence to reveal the connection between GRBs, SNe and relativistic jets. Results from IceCube's triggered GRB search and a first limit on relativistic jets in SNe from the optical follow-up program are presented.