Searching for PeV neutrinos from photomeson interactions in magnetars

TL;DR

This paper estimates PeV neutrino and gamma-ray fluxes from magnetar polar caps, considering photon splitting effects, and discusses their detectability to explain IceCube observations.

Contribution

It introduces a model accounting for photon splitting in magnetars to predict high-energy neutrino and gamma-ray fluxes, linking magnetars to IceCube PeV events.

Findings

Photon splitting enhances neutrino and gamma-ray fluxes at PeV energies.

Detection of correlated neutrinos and gamma-rays could identify magnetars as sources.

Likelihood of observing significant neutrino excess from a single magnetar is very low.

Abstract

In this paper we estimate the flux of PeV neutrinos and gamma-rays from magnetar polar caps, assuming that ions/protons are injected, and accelerated in these regions and interact with the radiative background. The present study takes into account the effect of the photon splitting mechanisms that should modify the radiative background, and enhance the neutrino and gamma-ray fluxes at PeV energies, with a view to explain the PeV neutrino events detected in IceCube. The results indicate that in near future, possibility of any significant excess of neutrino events from a magnetar in Milky Way is extremely low. Further, we suggest that the simultaneous observation of neutrinos and gamma-rays at Earth from expanded 'Gen2' IceCube detector and/or High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory would provide opportunities to explore the possible origin of very high energy neutrinos and gamma-rays.