Optical and X-ray early follow-up of ANTARES neutrino alerts

Adrián Martínez, S.; Ageron, M.; Albert, A.; Al Samarai, I.; André, M.; Anton, G.; Ardid, M.; Aubert, J. J.; Baret, B.; Barrios Martí, J.; Basa, S.; Bertin, V.; Biagi, S.; Bogazzi, C.; Bormuth, R.; Bou Cabo, M.; Bouwhuis, M. C.; Bruijn, R.; Brunner, J.; Busto, J.; Capone, A.; Caramete, L.; Carr, J.; Chiarusi, T.; Circella, M.; Coniglione, R.; Costantini, Heide; Coyle, P.; Creusot, A.; Dekeyser, I.; Deschamps, A.; De Bonis, G.; Distefano, C.; Donzaud, C.; Dornic, D.; Drouhin, D.; Dumas, A.; Eberl, T.; Elsässer, D.; Enzenhöfer, A.; Fehn, K.; Felis, I.; Fermani, P.; Folger, F.; Fusco, L. A.; Galatà, S.; Gay, P.; Geißelsöder, S.; Geyer, K.; Giordano, V.; Gleixner, A.; Gracia Ruiz, R.; Graf, K.; Van Haren, H.; Heijboer, A. J.; Hello, Y.; Hernández Rey, J. J.; Herrero, A.; Hößl, J.; Hofestädt, J.; Hugon, C.; James, C. W.; De Jong, M.; Kadler, M.; Kalekin, O.; Katz, U.; Kießling, D.; Kooijman, P.; Kouchner, A.; Kreykenbohm, I.; Kulikovskiy, Vladimir; Lahmann, R.; Lambard, G.; Lattuada, D.; Lefèvre, D.; Leonora, E.; Loucatos, S.; Mangano, S.; Marcelin, M.; Margiotta, A.; Martínez Mora, J. A.; Martini, S.; Mathieu, A.; Michael, T.; Migliozzi, P.; Moussa, A.; Mueller, C.; Neff, M.; Nezri, E.; Pǎvǎlaş, G. E.; Pellegrino, C.; Perrina, C.; Piattelli, P.; Popa, V.; Pradier, T.; Racca, C.; Riccobene, G.; Richter, R.; Roensch, K.; Rostovtsev, A.; Saldaña, M.; Samtleben, D. F. E.; Sanguineti, Matteo; Sapienza, P.; Schmid, J.; Schnabel, J.; Schulte, S.; Schüssler, F.; Seitz, T.; Sieger, C.; Spurio, M.; Steijger, J. J. M.; Stolarczyk, T. h.; Sánchez Losa, A.; Taiuti, MAURO GINO; Tamburini, C.; Trovato, A.; Tselengidou, M.; Tönnis, C.; Turpin, D.; Vallage, B.; Vallée, C.; Van Elewyck, V.; Vecchi, M.; Visser, E.; Vivolo, D.; Wagner, S.; Wilms, J.; Zornoza, J. D.; Zúñiga, J.; Klotz, A.; Boer, M.; Le Van Suu, A.; Akerlof, C.; Zheng, W.; Evans, P.; Gehrels, N.; Kennea, J.; Osborne, J. P.; Coward, D. M.

doi:10.1088/1475-7516/2016/02/062

High-energy neutrinos could be produced in the interaction of charged cosmic rays with matter or radiation surrounding astrophysical sources. Even with the recent detection of extraterrestrial high-energy neutrinos by the IceCube experiment, no astrophysical neutrino source has yet been discovered. Transient sources, such as gamma-ray bursts, core-collapse supernovae, or active galactic nuclei are promising candidates. Multi-messenger programs offer a unique opportunity to detect these transient sources. By combining the information provided by the ANTARES neutrino telescope with information coming from other observatories, the probability of detecting a source is enhanced, allowing the possibility of identifying a neutrino progenitor from a single detected event. A method based on optical and X-ray follow-ups of high-energy neutrino alerts has been developed within the ANTARES collaboration. This method does not require any assumptions on the relation between neutrino and photon spectra other than time-correlation. This program, denoted as TAToO, triggers a network of robotic optical telescopes (TAROT and ROTSE) and the Swift-XRT with a delay of only a few seconds after a neutrino detection, and is therefore well-suited to search for fast transient sources. To identify an optical or X-ray counterpart to a neutrino signal, the images provided by the follow-up observations are analysed with dedicated pipelines. A total of 42 alerts with optical and 7 alerts with X-ray images taken with a maximum delay of 24 hours after the neutrino trigger have been analysed. No optical or X-ray counterparts associated to the neutrino triggers have been found, and upper limits on transient source magnitudes have been derived. The probability to reject the gamma-ray burst origin hypothesis has been computed for each alert.

Optical and X-ray early follow-up of ANTARES neutrino alerts

Adrián Martínez, S.;Ageron, M.;Albert, A.;Al Samarai, I.;André, M.;Anton, G.;Ardid, M.;Aubert, J. J.;Baret, B.;Barrios Martí, J.;Basa, S.;Bertin, V.;Biagi, S.;Bogazzi, C.;Bormuth, R.;Bou Cabo, M.;Bouwhuis, M. C.;Bruijn, R.;Brunner, J.;Busto, J.;Capone, A.;Caramete, L.;Carr, J.;Chiarusi, T.;Circella, M.;Coniglione, R.;COSTANTINI, HEIDE;Coyle, P.;Creusot, A.;Dekeyser, I.;Deschamps, A.;De Bonis, G.;Distefano, C.;Donzaud, C.;Dornic, D.;Drouhin, D.;Dumas, A.;Eberl, T.;Elsässer, D.;Enzenhöfer, A.;Fehn, K.;Felis, I.;Fermani, P.;Folger, F.;Fusco, L. A.;Galatà, S.;Gay, P.;Geißelsöder, S.;Geyer, K.;Giordano, V.;Gleixner, A.;Gracia Ruiz, R.;Graf, K.;Van Haren, H.;Heijboer, A. J.;Hello, Y.;Hernández Rey, J. J.;Herrero, A.;Hößl, J.;Hofestädt, J.;Hugon, C.;James, C. W.;De Jong, M.;Kadler, M.;Kalekin, O.;Katz, U.;Kießling, D.;Kooijman, P.;Kouchner, A.;Kreykenbohm, I.;KULIKOVSKIY, VLADIMIR;Lahmann, R.;Lambard, G.;Lattuada, D.;Lefèvre, D.;Leonora, E.;Loucatos, S.;Mangano, S.;Marcelin, M.;Margiotta, A.;Martínez Mora, J. A.;Martini, S.;Mathieu, A.;Michael, T.;Migliozzi, P.;Moussa, A.;Mueller, C.;Neff, M.;Nezri, E.;Pǎvǎlaş, G. E.;Pellegrino, C.;Perrina, C.;Piattelli, P.;Popa, V.;Pradier, T.;Racca, C.;Riccobene, G.;Richter, R.;Roensch, K.;Rostovtsev, A.;Saldaña, M.;Samtleben, D. F. E.;SANGUINETI, MATTEO;Sapienza, P.;Schmid, J.;Schnabel, J.;Schulte, S.;Schüssler, F.;Seitz, T.;Sieger, C.;Spurio, M.;Steijger, J. J. M.;Stolarczyk, T.h.;Sánchez Losa, A.;TAIUTI, MAURO GINO;Tamburini, C.;Trovato, A.;Tselengidou, M.;Tönnis, C.;Turpin, D.;Vallage, B.;Vallée, C.;Van Elewyck, V.;Vecchi, M.;Visser, E.;Vivolo, D.;Wagner, S.;Wilms, J.;Zornoza, J. D.;Zúñiga, J.;Klotz, A.;Boer, M.;Le Van Suu, A.;Akerlof, C.;Zheng, W.;Evans, P.;Gehrels, N.;Kennea, J.;Osborne, J. P.;Coward, D. M.

2016-01-01

Abstract

High-energy neutrinos could be produced in the interaction of charged cosmic rays with matter or radiation surrounding astrophysical sources. Even with the recent detection of extraterrestrial high-energy neutrinos by the IceCube experiment, no astrophysical neutrino source has yet been discovered. Transient sources, such as gamma-ray bursts, core-collapse supernovae, or active galactic nuclei are promising candidates. Multi-messenger programs offer a unique opportunity to detect these transient sources. By combining the information provided by the ANTARES neutrino telescope with information coming from other observatories, the probability of detecting a source is enhanced, allowing the possibility of identifying a neutrino progenitor from a single detected event. A method based on optical and X-ray follow-ups of high-energy neutrino alerts has been developed within the ANTARES collaboration. This method does not require any assumptions on the relation between neutrino and photon spectra other than time-correlation. This program, denoted as TAToO, triggers a network of robotic optical telescopes (TAROT and ROTSE) and the Swift-XRT with a delay of only a few seconds after a neutrino detection, and is therefore well-suited to search for fast transient sources. To identify an optical or X-ray counterpart to a neutrino signal, the images provided by the follow-up observations are analysed with dedicated pipelines. A total of 42 alerts with optical and 7 alerts with X-ray images taken with a maximum delay of 24 hours after the neutrino trigger have been analysed. No optical or X-ray counterparts associated to the neutrino triggers have been found, and upper limits on transient source magnitudes have been derived. The probability to reject the gamma-ray burst origin hypothesis has been computed for each alert.