Some possible sources of IceCube TeV-PeV neutrino events

TL;DR

This paper investigates potential astrophysical sources of IceCube's TeV-PeV neutrino events, highlighting correlations with specific blazars and Centaurus A, and proposing photohadronic interactions in these sources as a possible origin.

Contribution

It identifies spatial coincidences between IceCube neutrino events and high-energy blazars and Centaurus A, suggesting these as potential sources and proposing a photohadronic interaction mechanism.

Findings

12 high-energy blazars and Centaurus A coincide with IceCube events

Blazar H2356-309 is within error circles of three IceCube events

Proposed photohadronic interactions in blazars as neutrino sources

Abstract

The IceCube Collaboration has observed 37 neutrino events in the energy range $30\, TeV\leq E_{\nu} \leq 2$ PeV and the sources of these neutrinos are unknown. Here we have shown that positions of 12 high energy blazars and the position of the FR-I galaxy Centaurus A, coincide within the error circles of ten IceCube events, the later being in the error circle of the highest energy event so far observed by IceCube. Two of the above blazars are simultaneously within the error circles of the Telescope Array hotspot and one IceCube event. We found that the blazar H2356-309 is within the error circles of three IceCube events. We propose that photohadronic interaction of the Fermi accelerated high energy protons with the synchrotron/SSC background photons in the nuclear region of these high energy blazars and AGN are probably responsible for some of the observed IceCube events.