Gravitational Lensing of Neutrino from Collapsars

TL;DR

This paper explores how gravitational lensing by supermassive black holes could amplify neutrino signals from the first stars' gamma-ray bursts, potentially enabling their detection with current technology.

Contribution

It introduces the idea that gravitational lensing can enhance neutrino signals from Population III gamma-ray bursts, aiding their observation.

Findings

Gravitational lensing can significantly boost neutrino signals from distant sources.

Monte Carlo analysis shows potential for detection with current instruments.

Neutrinos from the re-ionization era could be observed through lensing effects.

Abstract

We study neutrino emission from long gamma-ray bursts. The collapse of very massive stars to black holes, and the consequent jet formation, are expected to produce high-energy neutrinos through photomeson production. Such neutrinos can escape from the source and travel up to the Earth. We focus on the case of Population III progenitors for gamma-ray bursts. Neutrinos can be the only source of information of the first stars formed in the universe. The expected signal is rather weak, but we propose that gravitational lensing by nearby supermassive black holes might enhance the neutrino emission in some cases. We implement a Monte Carlo analysis to ponder the statistical significance of this scenario. We suggest that an observational strategy based on gravitational lensing could lead to the detection of neutrinos from the re-ionization era of the universe with current instrumentation.