Extending the IceCube search for neutrino point sources in the Northern sky with additional years of data

TL;DR

This paper extends IceCube's search for neutrino point sources in the Northern sky by incorporating additional years of data, including partial data from 2010, to improve sensitivity and discovery potential.

Contribution

It introduces an extended analysis using more data years, enhancing the search for neutrino sources like NGC 1068 and others in the Northern sky.

Findings

Significant emission from NGC 1068 at 4.2σ with 9 years of data.

Improved sensitivity and potential for discovery with additional data.

Enhanced analysis techniques applicable to all Northern sky sources.

Abstract

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a one-cubic-kilometer-sized neutrino telescope deployed deep in the Antarctic ice at the South Pole. One of IceCube's major goals is finding the origins of astrophysical high-energy neutrinos. In 2022, IceCube identified the strongest point-like neutrino source so far, the active galaxy NGC 1068. Analyzing 9 years of muon-neutrino data from the Northern Sky recorded between 2011 and 2020, the emission from NGC 1068 is significant at 4.2$\,\sigma$. We present a planned extension to this search with additional years of data. One of these years includes data from 2010 when IceCube was only partially constructed. We discuss the improvement in sensitivity and discovery potential for neutrino point sources across the Northern sky. We show that by building on the established analysis techniques, previous observations could be improved, not only for NGC 1068 but for all possible sources in the Northern sky.