SkyPlotter: Displaying Source Candidates Near High-Energy Neutrino Events
Mentor 1
Anna Franckowiak
Location
Union Wisconsin Room
Start Date
27-4-2018 1:00 PM
Description
The IceCube neutrino observatory has detected a flux of high-energy neutrinos. However, the origin of those high-energy astrophysical neutrinos is currently unknown. Finding the source of these neutrinos is crucial for IceCube’s main aim, which is to study the origin and propagation of cosmic rays. Possible source class candidates are supernovae (SNe), active galactic nuclei (AGN), gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), and other sources of gamma rays. I have developed a visualization tool called SkyPlotter, which displays sources of those classes that are close to the coordinates of a neutrino detection. SkyPlotter draws on catalogs of gamma ray, X-ray, and optical sources of both steady and transient nature. Skyplotter visually displays sources within the neutrino error circle and prints relevant information, such as flux and redshift. The next step is to begin applying the tool to IceCube’s public neutrino candidates and comparing the results to sources found in random directions in the sky.
SkyPlotter: Displaying Source Candidates Near High-Energy Neutrino Events
Union Wisconsin Room
The IceCube neutrino observatory has detected a flux of high-energy neutrinos. However, the origin of those high-energy astrophysical neutrinos is currently unknown. Finding the source of these neutrinos is crucial for IceCube’s main aim, which is to study the origin and propagation of cosmic rays. Possible source class candidates are supernovae (SNe), active galactic nuclei (AGN), gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), and other sources of gamma rays. I have developed a visualization tool called SkyPlotter, which displays sources of those classes that are close to the coordinates of a neutrino detection. SkyPlotter draws on catalogs of gamma ray, X-ray, and optical sources of both steady and transient nature. Skyplotter visually displays sources within the neutrino error circle and prints relevant information, such as flux and redshift. The next step is to begin applying the tool to IceCube’s public neutrino candidates and comparing the results to sources found in random directions in the sky.
