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Discover the significance of neutrinos in observing high-energy events. Learn about methods of detection, potential sources, and the benefits of using neutrinos as tools for cosmic research.
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Guaranteed and Prospective Galactic TeV Neutrino Sources Matt Kistler Ohio State University In Collaboration With John Beacom astro-ph/0607082, PRD accepted TeVParticle Astrophysics II Madison – Aug. 29, 2006
Why Bother With Neutrinos? • HESS has greatly expanded the list of known TeV sources (see talk by D. Horns) • Gamma-ray production mechanism is uncertain • High-energy spectral characteristics are difficult to observe • Neutrinos can provide unique information • Observation of neutrinos clinches means of production • High energy events would confirm very energetic proton acceleration TeVII
An (Over)Abundance of Gamma-ray Sources • TeV sources with limited spectral information discovered by Whipple, HEGRA, CANGAROO, Milagro • Precision era started with HESS (southern sky) • MAGIC, VERITAS will cover northern sky • Many unknown EGRET sources (MeV-GeV) • GLAST will clarify TeVII
Still Much to Learn • Leptonic… • …or hadronic? • What are the unknown HESS and EGRET sources? • Where are Galactic cosmic rays produced? • Can we examine the end of a source spectrum? Neutrinos can give answers TeVII
Methods of Neutrino Detection • Muons provide good angular resolution • Best for locating point-like sources • Only upgoing events Simulated IceCube muon event • Showers have better energy resolution • All-sky (in principle) • Measures e, t neutrino fluxes TeVII Simulated IceCube shower
Gigaton Weak Force Converters • IceCube (under construction, see talk by K. Hanson) • Well understood techniques • Full time coverage of northern sky • Mediterranean km³ (see talk by P. Coyle) • Improved shower angular resolution • Can “see” southern sky sources TeVII ANTARES
Neutrinos as Tools • Where is the cutoff? • IACT: Excellent for ~1-10 TeV, declining signal above • Benefits of n: • Rising n-N cross section • Increasing muon range • ~ 24/7/365 • Rapidly falling background • Maximum likelihood approach • Muonrates sensitive toneutrinocutoff TeVII
Galactic Center Diffuse Emission • Best motivated n source • Powerful (2 × GC point source), but distant • Near threshold of detection Muons • Well correlated with molecular clouds TeVII
Vela Jr • One of brightest TeV g sources • Southern sky object • Shell-type SNR • See talk by D. Horns Muons Muon energy entering detector TeVII
Vela Jr (cont.) • Potential for shower measurements and flavor ratio • Neutrino map? Showers astro-ph/0601012 TeVII
Other Prospective Sources • SNR RX J1713-3946 (Alvarez-Muniz & Halzen, Costantini & Vissani) • PWN Vela X (Horns, Aharonian, Santangelo, Hoffmann, & Masterson) • Unidentified HESS and EGRET sources • Stacking and maximum likelihood analysis may help • See MDK & Beacom (2006) and Kappes, Hinton, Stegmann, & Aharonian (2006) for more TeVII
Summary • Many prospective Galactic neutrino sources (also see talk by A. Kappes) • Neutrino observations break leptonic/hadronic production degeneracy • Maximum likelihood analysis increases detectability • High energy neutrino events would extend measurements of source spectrum • Confirmation of cosmic ray production in SNR TeVII