Four Swift searches for transient sources of high-energy neutrinos

A. Keivani, D. F. Cowen, D. B. Fox, J. A. Kennea, G. Tešić, C. F. Turley, P. A. Evans, J. P. Osborne, F. E. Marshall

Research output: Contribution to journalConference articlepeer-review

1 Scopus citations

Abstract

We present results of the first four Swift satellite follow-up campaigns seeking to identify transient or variable X-ray or UV/optical sources that might be associated with individual candidate high-energy cosmic muon neutrinos detected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. Real-time public alerts providing coordinates and arrival times of likely-cosmic neutrinos have been provided by IceCube, via the Astrophysical Multimessenger Observatory Network, since April 2016. Subsequent Swift X-ray observations of four likely-cosmic neutrinos (events 160731A, 161103A, 170312A, and 170321A) reveal multiple X-ray sources in the targeted 90%-containment regions, most of which have been previously identified, and none of which are considered likely sources of high-energy neutrinos. Observations exclude association with the brightest 30% to 65% of Swifttype γ-ray burst X-ray afterglows over the observed regions. Contemporaneous Swift UV/optical observations, providing reduced coverage of the event localizations, also reveal no candidate transient or variable UV/optical counterparts. We discuss the results of these campaigns and our plans for further follow-up of likely-cosmic high-energy neutrinos from IceCube.

Original languageEnglish (US)
JournalProceedings of Science
DOIs
StatePublished - 2017
Event35th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2017 - Bexco, Busan, Korea, Republic of
Duration: Jul 10 2017Jul 20 2017

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • General

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