Targets of Opportunity with POEMMA

ORAL

Abstract

Cosmic-ray accelerators capable of reaching ultra-high energies are expected to also produce very-high energy neutrinos via hadronic interactions within the source. Many of the candidate astrophysical source classes are either transient in nature or exhibit flaring activity. Leveraging the Earth as a neutrino converter, the Probe of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA) will be able to detect cosmic tau neutrinos at energies ~ 10 PeV and above. As a space-based mission, POEMMA will have orbital characteristics and slewing capability that will ensure full-sky coverage and enable rapid follow up, making it uniquely suited for searching for neutrinos from astrophysical transient events. We present the latest results of a study exploring the prospects of detecting tau neutrino events with POEMMA from a variety of astrophysical transient source classes and potential backgrounds during Target-of-Opportunity observations.

*Supported in part by NASA, DOE, and NSF.

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Authors

  • Tonia Venters

    • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
    • NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center
    • NASA/GSFC

  • Mary Hall Reno

    • Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Iowa
    • The University of Iowa
    • University of Iowa
    • Univ of Iowa

  • John K Krizmanic

    • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center
    • CRESST/NASA GSFC/UMBC
    • NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center and University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    • University of Maryland, Baltimore County
    • UMBC/CRESST/NASA/GSFC
    • Univ. of Maryland
    • NASA – Goddard Space Flight Center
    • NASA Goddard Space Flight Center and University of Maryland

  • Luis Anchordoqui

    • City University of New York, Lehman College
    • CUNY/AMNH

  • Claire Guépin

    • JSI/UMd

  • Angela V Olinto

    • University of Chicago