IceCube-210516A: Upper limits from a search for additional neutrino events in IceCube
Abstract
IceCube has performed a search for additional track-like muon neutrino events arriving from the direction of IceCube-210516A (https://gcn.gsfc.nasa.gov/gcn3/30026.gcn3) in a time range of 2 days centered on the alert event time (2021-05-15 14:38:20.340 UTC to 2021-05-17 14:38:20.340 UTC) during which IceCube was collecting good quality data. Excluding the event that prompted the alert, one additional track-like event is found in spatial coincidence with the 90% containment region of IceCube-210516A. We find that these data are consistent with atmospheric background expectations, with a p-value of 1.0. We accordingly derive a time-integrated muon-neutrino flux upper limit at the alert position of E^2 dN/dE = 3.6 x 10^-5 TeV cm^-2 at 90% CL, under the assumption of an E^-2 power law. 90% of events IceCube would detect from a source at this declination with an E^-2 spectrum are approximately between 1 TeV and 2 PeV. A subsequent search was performed to include the month of data prior to the alert event (2021-04-16 14:38:20.340 UTC to 2021-05-17 14:38:20.340 UTC). In this case, we report a p-value of 1.0, consistent with no significant excess of track-like events, and a corresponding time-integrated muon-neutrino flux upper limit assuming an E^-2 spectrum (E^2 dN/dE) of 4.7 x 10^-5 TeV cm^-2 at the 90% CL. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a cubic-kilometer neutrino detector operating at the geographic South Pole, Antarctica. The IceCube realtime alert point of contact can be reached at roc@icecube.wisc.edu<mailto:roc@icecube.wisc.edu>.
- Publication:
-
GRB Coordinates Network
- Pub Date:
- May 2021
- Bibcode:
- 2021GCN.30038....1I