ANTARES search for high-energy neutrinos from TeV-emitting blazars, Markarian 421 and 501, in coincidence with HAWC gamma-ray flares

TL;DR

This study searches for high-energy neutrinos from two bright blazars, Markarian 421 and 501, using ANTARES data, aiming to find correlations with gamma-ray flares observed by HAWC, to understand their role in cosmic ray production.

Contribution

It provides an updated, longer-term analysis of neutrino emissions from these blazars, incorporating gamma-ray activity data to enhance detection sensitivity.

Findings

No significant neutrino signal detected during gamma-ray flares.

Results place constraints on neutrino flux models for blazars.

Supports the need for multi-messenger approaches in astrophysics.

Abstract

An updated analysis of a targeted search for high-energy neutrinos from Markarian 421 and Markarian 501 is reported. They are two of the closest and brightest extragalactic sources in the TeV band. In contrast to other types of active galactic nuclei, BL Lacs are characterized by rapid and large-amplitude flux variability. Such radio-loud active galactic nuclei are candidate sources of the observed high-energy cosmic rays. Because their jet is collimated to our line of sight, the hadronic interactions with the surrounding medium can produce an accompanying neutrino and gamma-ray flux. The recent detection of high-energy neutrinos from the direction of TXS 0506+056 motivates a search for high-energy neutrinos from blazars with enhanced gamma-ray activity. These two targeted blazars are subject to long-term monitoring campaigns by the HAWC TeV gamma-ray observatory located in Mexico. This contribution presents the latest results of a search and extends previously presented results to a longer period that covers ANTARES data collected between November 2014 and December 2017. The gamma-ray light curves of each source were used to search for temporally correlated neutrinos, potentially produced in hadronic processes.