An updated list of target sources for IceCube neutrino cluster alerts

Icecube Collaboration

doi:10.22323/1.501.0919

An updated list of target sources for IceCube neutrino cluster alerts

Icecube Collaboration

Physics and Astronomy

University of Delaware
RWTH Aachen University
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Adelaide University
Loyola University Chicago
German Electron Synchrotron
University of Canterbury
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Université libre de Bruxelles
University of Copenhagen
TU Dortmund University
University of Kansas
Marquette University
Harvard University
University of Utah
Michigan State University
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
University of California at Irvine
Technical University of Munich
University of California at Berkeley
Ohio State University
Ruhr University Bochum
Uppsala University
University of Rochester
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Padua
University of Alabama
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Georgia Institute of Technology
Queen's University Kingston

Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article › peer-review

Abstract

Multimessenger astronomy seeks to uncover the origins of cosmic rays and neutrinos. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory plays a key role in monitoring the sky for revealing high energy neutrinos and neutrino time clusters possibly associated with astrophysical sources, issuing alerts to the astrophysical community for significant excesses. This enables joint observations with other astronomical facilities that could reveal the hidden mechanisms behind the most extreme environments in the Universe. In particular, since 2006 the Gamma-ray Follow-Up (GFU) program shares cluster alerts with partner Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes. The faint cosmic signals, searched against large atmospheric backgrounds, are widely masked by the statistical penalties that arise when scanning the full sky in an unbiased way. Hence, targeted analyses of pre-selected neutrino source candidates have proven to increase our search sensitivity. Our understanding of astrophysical environments has improved in recent years, with evidence of neutrino emission from the blazar TXS 0506+056 and the Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068. The aim of expanding observational possibilities and engaging the broader scientific community through public cluster alerts has motivated the creation of a new list of target sources to be monitored by IceCube. This contribution presents the systematic compilation of this list, which extends the well-established focus on gamma-ray bright active galactic nuclei (AGN) to include X-ray bright AGN and binary systems.

Original language	English
Article number	919
Journal	Proceedings of Science
Volume	501
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.22323/1.501.0919
State	Published - Dec 30 2025
Event	39th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2025 - Geneva, Switzerland Duration: Jul 15 2025 → Jul 24 2025

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10.22323/1.501.0919

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@article{4db6d2006c8746e084b559c6e619443a,

title = "An updated list of target sources for IceCube neutrino cluster alerts",

abstract = "Multimessenger astronomy seeks to uncover the origins of cosmic rays and neutrinos. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory plays a key role in monitoring the sky for revealing high energy neutrinos and neutrino time clusters possibly associated with astrophysical sources, issuing alerts to the astrophysical community for significant excesses. This enables joint observations with other astronomical facilities that could reveal the hidden mechanisms behind the most extreme environments in the Universe. In particular, since 2006 the Gamma-ray Follow-Up (GFU) program shares cluster alerts with partner Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes. The faint cosmic signals, searched against large atmospheric backgrounds, are widely masked by the statistical penalties that arise when scanning the full sky in an unbiased way. Hence, targeted analyses of pre-selected neutrino source candidates have proven to increase our search sensitivity. Our understanding of astrophysical environments has improved in recent years, with evidence of neutrino emission from the blazar TXS 0506+056 and the Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068. The aim of expanding observational possibilities and engaging the broader scientific community through public cluster alerts has motivated the creation of a new list of target sources to be monitored by IceCube. This contribution presents the systematic compilation of this list, which extends the well-established focus on gamma-ray bright active galactic nuclei (AGN) to include X-ray bright AGN and binary systems.",

author = "\{Icecube Collaboration\} and Schroeder, \{Frank G.\} and Federico Bontempo and R. Abbasi and M. Ackermann and J. Adams and Agarwalla, \{S. K.\} and Aguilar, \{J. A.\} and M. Ahlers and Alameddine, \{J. M.\} and S. Ali and Amin, \{N. M.\} and K. Andeen and C. Arg{\"u}elles and Y. Ashida and S. Athanasiadou and Axani, \{S. N.\} and R. Babu and X. Bai and J. Baines-Holmes and A. Balagopal and Barwick, \{S. W.\} and S. Bash and V. Basu and R. Bay and Beatty, \{J. J.\} and Tjus, \{J. Becker\} and P. Behrens and J. Beise and C. Bellenghi and B. Benkel and S. BenZvi and D. Berley and E. Bernardini and Besson, \{D. Z.\} and E. Blaufuss and L. Bloom and S. Blot and I. Bodo and F. Bontempo and Motzkin, \{J. Y.Book\} and Meneguolo, \{C. Boscolo\} and S. B{\"o}ser and O. Botner and J. B{\"o}ttcher and J. Braun and B. Brinson and Z. Brisson-Tsavoussis and Burley, \{R. T.\} and D. Butterfield and J. Kiryluk",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Copyright owned by the author(s); 39th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2025 ; Conference date: 15-07-2025 Through 24-07-2025",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

day = "30",

doi = "10.22323/1.501.0919",

language = "English",

volume = "501",

journal = "Proceedings of Science",

issn = "1824-8039",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - An updated list of target sources for IceCube neutrino cluster alerts

AU - Icecube Collaboration

AU - Schroeder, Frank G.

AU - Bontempo, Federico

AU - Abbasi, R.

AU - Ackermann, M.

AU - Adams, J.

AU - Agarwalla, S. K.

AU - Aguilar, J. A.

AU - Ahlers, M.

AU - Alameddine, J. M.

AU - Ali, S.

AU - Amin, N. M.

AU - Andeen, K.

AU - Argüelles, C.

AU - Ashida, Y.

AU - Athanasiadou, S.

AU - Axani, S. N.

AU - Babu, R.

AU - Bai, X.

AU - Baines-Holmes, J.

AU - Balagopal, A.

AU - Barwick, S. W.

AU - Bash, S.

AU - Basu, V.

AU - Bay, R.

AU - Beatty, J. J.

AU - Tjus, J. Becker

AU - Behrens, P.

AU - Beise, J.

AU - Bellenghi, C.

AU - Benkel, B.

AU - BenZvi, S.

AU - Berley, D.

AU - Bernardini, E.

AU - Besson, D. Z.

AU - Blaufuss, E.

AU - Bloom, L.

AU - Blot, S.

AU - Bodo, I.

AU - Bontempo, F.

AU - Motzkin, J. Y.Book

AU - Meneguolo, C. Boscolo

AU - Böser, S.

AU - Botner, O.

AU - Böttcher, J.

AU - Braun, J.

AU - Brinson, B.

AU - Brisson-Tsavoussis, Z.

AU - Burley, R. T.

AU - Butterfield, D.

AU - Kiryluk, J.

PY - 2025/12/30

Y1 - 2025/12/30

N2 - Multimessenger astronomy seeks to uncover the origins of cosmic rays and neutrinos. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory plays a key role in monitoring the sky for revealing high energy neutrinos and neutrino time clusters possibly associated with astrophysical sources, issuing alerts to the astrophysical community for significant excesses. This enables joint observations with other astronomical facilities that could reveal the hidden mechanisms behind the most extreme environments in the Universe. In particular, since 2006 the Gamma-ray Follow-Up (GFU) program shares cluster alerts with partner Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes. The faint cosmic signals, searched against large atmospheric backgrounds, are widely masked by the statistical penalties that arise when scanning the full sky in an unbiased way. Hence, targeted analyses of pre-selected neutrino source candidates have proven to increase our search sensitivity. Our understanding of astrophysical environments has improved in recent years, with evidence of neutrino emission from the blazar TXS 0506+056 and the Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068. The aim of expanding observational possibilities and engaging the broader scientific community through public cluster alerts has motivated the creation of a new list of target sources to be monitored by IceCube. This contribution presents the systematic compilation of this list, which extends the well-established focus on gamma-ray bright active galactic nuclei (AGN) to include X-ray bright AGN and binary systems.

AB - Multimessenger astronomy seeks to uncover the origins of cosmic rays and neutrinos. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory plays a key role in monitoring the sky for revealing high energy neutrinos and neutrino time clusters possibly associated with astrophysical sources, issuing alerts to the astrophysical community for significant excesses. This enables joint observations with other astronomical facilities that could reveal the hidden mechanisms behind the most extreme environments in the Universe. In particular, since 2006 the Gamma-ray Follow-Up (GFU) program shares cluster alerts with partner Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes. The faint cosmic signals, searched against large atmospheric backgrounds, are widely masked by the statistical penalties that arise when scanning the full sky in an unbiased way. Hence, targeted analyses of pre-selected neutrino source candidates have proven to increase our search sensitivity. Our understanding of astrophysical environments has improved in recent years, with evidence of neutrino emission from the blazar TXS 0506+056 and the Seyfert galaxy NGC 1068. The aim of expanding observational possibilities and engaging the broader scientific community through public cluster alerts has motivated the creation of a new list of target sources to be monitored by IceCube. This contribution presents the systematic compilation of this list, which extends the well-established focus on gamma-ray bright active galactic nuclei (AGN) to include X-ray bright AGN and binary systems.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105029033066

U2 - 10.22323/1.501.0919

DO - 10.22323/1.501.0919

M3 - Conference article

AN - SCOPUS:105029033066

SN - 1824-8039

VL - 501

JO - Proceedings of Science

JF - Proceedings of Science

M1 - 919

T2 - 39th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2025

Y2 - 15 July 2025 through 24 July 2025

ER -

An updated list of target sources for IceCube neutrino cluster alerts

Abstract

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