Prospects for extending the core-collapse supernova detection horizon using high-energy neutrinos

TL;DR

This paper investigates how high-energy neutrino observations with IceCube can extend the detection range of core-collapse supernovae beyond traditional low-energy neutrino methods, especially with future detector upgrades.

Contribution

It analyzes the potential of high-energy neutrino data to significantly expand the supernova detection horizon, including projections for IceCube-Gen2.

Findings

High-energy neutrinos can extend detection to the Mpc range.

Different IceCube data samples have complementary sky sensitivities.

Future upgrades will further increase detection prospects.

Abstract

Large neutrino detectors like IceCube monitor for core-collapse supernovae using low energy (MeV) neutrinos, with a reach to a supernova neutrino burst to the Magellanic Cloud. However, some models predict the emission of high energy neutrinos (GeV-TeV) from core-collapse supernovae through the interaction of ejecta with circumstellar material and (TeV-PeV) through choked jets. In this paper, we explore the detection horizon of IceCube for core-collapse supernovae using high-energy neutrinos from these models. We examine the potential of two high-energy neutrino data samples from IceCube, one that performs best in the northern sky and one that has better sensitivity in the southern sky. We demonstrate that by using high-energy neutrinos from core-collapse supernovae, the detection reach can be extended to the Mpc range, far beyond what is accessible through low-energy neutrinos. Looking ahead to IceCube-Gen2, this reach will be extended considerably.