Research – Page 8

Sun’s shadow on IceCube shines light on solar magnetic field

Posted on July 1, 2020 by Madeleine O'Keefe

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The IceCube Collaboration recently performed an analysis to try to expand our understanding of the solar magnetic field by studying the time-dependent cosmic-ray Sun shadow. They also wanted to explore how the cosmic-ray Sun shadow changes at different energy regimes. The results, recently submitted to Physical Review D, show that more solar activity leads to a weaker Sun shadow. There were also indications that, in times of high solar activity, the shadow becomes stronger at higher energies—a hint at Sun-shadow energy dependence that will be explored more in future studies. […]

Still no sterile neutrinos, according to new IceCube analysis

Posted on June 25, 2020 by Madeleine O'Keefe

In two new papers, the IceCube Collaboration updates their eV-scale sterile neutrino search using an eight-year dataset and improved event selection. The analysis found no evidence of sterile neutrinos at this energy scale and was consistent with the no-sterile-neutrino hypothesis. […]

Machine-learning method allows IceCube to study cosmic rays at new-low energies

Posted on June 16, 2020 by Madeleine O'Keefe

IceCube has found a way to detect cosmic rays of lower energies previously unreachable by IceTop. In a paper submitted to Physical Review D, “Cosmic Ray Spectrum from 250 TeV to 10 PeV using IceTop,” the IceCube Collaboration explains how they implemented a new two-station trigger as well as the machine-learning method developed to analyze these events […]

Pulsar wind nebulae explored as possible cosmic-ray accelerators

Posted on April 3, 2020 by Madeleine O'Keefe

In a paper recently submitted to The Astrophysical Journal, the IceCube Collaboration outlines an analysis that searched for neutrino emission from 35 pulsar wind nebulae in 9.5 years of IceCube data. They did not find any significant correlation, so the researchers set upper limits on total neutrino emission from these objects. […]

Looking for dark matter in the center of the Milky Way

Posted on March 17, 2020 by Madeleine O'Keefe

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Dark matter is one of the biggest mysteries in science today, and neutrinos might be able to help. IceCube and ANTARES Collaborations recently probed a known dark matter hotspot—the center of the Milky Way—by combining data from their respective neutrino telescopes. They did not find any unusual excesses of neutrinos, but they put stronger constraints on the dark matter annihilation cross section averaged over the dark matter velocity. The results of the analysis are outlined in a paper submitted recently to Physical Review D. […]

Fast radio bursts and neutrinos: Is there a connection?

Posted on February 18, 2020 by Madeleine O'Keefe

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Fast radio bursts (FRBs) are some of the most enigmatic phenomena in the universe. These millisecond-long pulses of radio waves most likely originate outside of our galaxy, but we don’t know much more than that. The IceCube Collaboration recently looked for neutrino events that coincided with 28 nonrepeating FRBs and one repeating FRB. Searching for neutrinos emitted from the same part of the sky as FRBs could provide clues to help test models that suggest particle acceleration near the FRB source. Results from this search are outlined in a paper published today in The Astrophysical Journal. […]

New insights into the astrophysical neutrino flux

Posted on February 10, 2020 by Madeleine O'Keefe

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In a paper recently submitted to Physical Review Letters, the IceCube Collaboration presents new results of an analysis to determine and characterize, with unprecedented precision and across the entire sky, the combined flux of astrophysical electron and tau neutrinos. […]

New optical telescope proves to be fit for the South Pole

Posted on February 5, 2020 by Madeleine O'Keefe

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For South Pole experiments like the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, all instruments—whether in the ice or on the surface—must undergo feasibility studies to make sure they can operate in the harsh Antarctic conditions. Optical instruments, especially, are subject to icing and snow accumulation. Recently, the IceCube Collaboration proved the successful operation of a new instrument, an imaging air-Cherenkov telescope, at the Pole. They outline the details of the study in a paper published today in the Journal of Instrumentation. […]

Optimizing the “eyeballs” of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory

Posted on February 5, 2020 by Madeleine O'Keefe

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Researchers in the IceCube Collaboration are always looking for ways to improve the understanding of the PMTs so they can get the highest-quality data from the DOMs. Most recently, they implemented a new method for more accurately characterizing individual PMT charge distributions, which was shown to improve PMT calibration and simulation. The method is described in a technical report submitted today to the Journal of Instrumentation. […]

IceCube performs the first-ever search for neutrinos from the sun’s atmosphere

Posted on January 17, 2020 by Madeleine O'Keefe

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The IceCube Collaboration recently performed the first-ever experimental search for solar atmospheric neutrinos. Such a detection would have important implications for understanding solar magnetic fields and how cosmic rays propagate in the inner solar system, and it could even provide additional background to solar dark matter searches. But after investigating seven years of IceCube data, IceCube researchers did not detect any solar atmospheric neutrinos and so set an upper limit on the flux. Their results are outlined in a paper that was recently submitted to the Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics. […]