Probing the potential high-energy messengers of the anticipated T Coronae Borealis outburst

TL;DR

This study models the high-energy emission from the upcoming T Coronae Borealis outburst, predicting gamma-ray and neutrino signals through detailed simulations of particle acceleration and shock interactions.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive 3D hydrodynamical and diffusive shock acceleration model to predict high-energy emissions from T CrB's outburst, including neutrinos and gamma-rays.

Findings

Early emission dominated by ejecta and accretion disk effects.

Maximum particle energies can reach PeV scale with velocity gradients.

Neutrino detection is feasible only in high-energy, high-density scenarios.

Abstract

T Coronae Borealis (T CrB) is a nearby recurrent nova expected to erupt in the near future, offering a unique opportunity to study particle acceleration and high-energy emission from novae in real time. We investigate the production of gamma-rays and neutrinos following the T CrB outburst by combining three-dimensional hydrodynamical simulations with a detailed diffusive shock acceleration model. Our simulations account for the complex circumbinary medium, including the red giant wind, equatorial density enhancement, and accretion disk. We compute spatially resolved spectra of accelerated protons and electrons at the forward shock, accounting for downstream velocity gradients and variations in shock properties. Using a multi-zone approach, we synthesize hadronic gamma- ray emission from proton-proton interactions, leptonic gamma-rays from inverse-Compton scattering, and the associated neutrino emission. We present predicted gamma-ray spectra, light curves, and images from our numerical models of T CrB, and assess their detectability with current gamma-ray and neutrino observatories. We find that the early high-energy emission is dominated by the ejecta, with the accretion disk significantly boosting the gamma-ray flux and particle normalization during the first hours after the outburst. By incorporating velocity gradients in the post-shock flow, we demonstrate that maximum particle energies can reach the PeV scale in high-energy explosion scenarios. We show that while GeV gamma-rays are prominent messengers, neutrino detection is feasible primarily in models with high explosion energy and high ambient density.