High-Energy Neutrino Signatures of Newborn Pulsars In the Local Universe

TL;DR

This paper investigates the potential for detecting high-energy neutrinos from newborn pulsars in the local universe, analyzing their spectral properties, current detectability, and estimating the birth rate of observable pulsars.

Contribution

It introduces a model for neutrino production in newborn pulsars, assesses their detectability with IceCube, and estimates the local birth rate of observable pulsars.

Findings

Neutrino spectral index varies from 1.5 to 2.

Current neutrino flux from known pulsars is below detection limits.

Estimated observable pulsar birth rate is 0.07 per year.

Abstract

Charged particles can be accelerated to higher than PeV energies in the electro-magnetic wind of a fast-spinning newborn pulsar to produce high-energy neutrinos, through hadronuclear interactions in the supernova remnant. Here we explore the detectability and observational signatures of these high-energy neutrinos. We show that their spectral index varies approximately from 1.5 to 2, depending on the relevant pulsar properties and observation time. We also apply the scenario to existing young pulsars in the local universe and find the corresponding neutrino flux well below current detection limits. Finally, we estimate the birth rate of fast-spinning pulsars in the local Universe that can be observed by the IceCube observatory to be 0.07 per year, with an upper limit of 0.29 per year.