Searching for Neutrino Transients Below 1 TeV with IceCube

TL;DR

This paper discusses the use of IceCube's DeepCore array to detect low-energy neutrinos below 1 TeV from astrophysical transients, aiming to distinguish hadronic from leptonic processes in novae.

Contribution

It introduces a new sub-TeV neutrino selection method with IceCube DeepCore and explores its potential for transient neutrino detection.

Findings

Successful reduction of neutrino detection threshold to ~10 GeV

Implementation of a new sub-TeV neutrino selection technique

Prospects for future transient neutrino searches with improved sensitivity

Abstract

Recent observations of GeV gamma-rays from novae have led to a paradigm shift in the understanding of these objects. While it is now believed that shocks contribute significantly to the energy budget of novae, it is still unknown if the emission is hadronic or leptonic in origin. Neutrinos could hold the key to definitively differentiating between these two scenarios, though the energies of such particles would be much lower than are typically targeted with neutrino telescopes. IceCube's densely instrumented DeepCore sub-array provides the ability to reduce the threshold for observation from 1 TeV down to approximately 10 GeV. We will discuss recent measurements in this low energy regime, details of a new sub-TeV selection, and prospects for future searches for transient neutrino emission.