Program: GN-2021A-Q-116

Title:Spectroscopic classification of potential neutrino counterparts identified by ZTF
PI:Mansi Kasliwal
Co-I(s): Anna Franckowiak, Simeon Reusch, Jesper Sollerman, Jakob Nordin, Marek Kowalski, Suvi Gezari, Robert Stein, Sjoert van Velzen

Abstract

We propose a joint Gemini-Zwicky Transient Facility (ZTF) ToO program to identify the sources of high-energy neutrinos through their optical counterparts. High-energy neutrinos are unique messengers from the most violent objects in the Universe directly tracing the sites of cosmic-ray particle acceleration. While a diffuse flux of cosmic neutrinos was identified, their sources are still unknown. We propose to follow-up high-energy neutrino candidates released by the IceCube neutrino observatory in realtime with ZTF and classify promising candidate sources with Gemini. This program has the capability to probe supernovae and tidal disruption events as the dominant high-energy neutrino source and thereby as powerful cosmic accelerators.