{"662849":{"#nid":"662849","#data":{"type":"news","title":"IceCube Neutrinos Give Us First Glimpse Into the Inner Depths of an Active Galaxy","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThis news release first appeared in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/icecube.wisc.edu\/news\/press-releases\/2022\/11\/icecube-neutrinos-give-us-first-glimpse-into-the-inner-depths-of-an-active-galaxy\/\u0022\u003EUniversity of Wisconsin-Madison\u0026#39;s IceCube Neutrino Observatory newsroom\u003C\/a\u003E, and has been tailored for Georgia Tech readers. \u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFor the first time, an international team of scientists, including a professor in the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/\u0022\u003ESchool of Physics\u003C\/a\u003E, have found evidence of high-energy neutrino emission from NGC 1068, also known as Messier 77, an active galaxy in the constellation Cetus and one of the most familiar and well-studied galaxies to date.\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EFirst spotted in 1780, this galaxy, located 47 million light-years away from us, can be observed with large binoculars. The \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.science.org\/doi\/10.1126\/science.abg3395\u0022\u003Eresults\u003C\/a\u003E, published in the journal \u003Cem\u003EScience\u003C\/em\u003E, were shared Nov. 3 in an online scientific webinar that gathered experts, journalists, and scientists from around the globe.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe detection was made at the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/www.nsf.gov\/\u0022\u003ENational Science Foundation\u003C\/a\u003E-supported \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/icecube.wisc.edu\/\u0022\u003EIceCube Neutrino Observatory\u003C\/a\u003E, a massive neutrino telescope encompassing 1 billion tons of instrumented ice at depths of 1.5 to 2.5 kilometers below Antarctica\u0026rsquo;s surface near the South Pole. This unique telescope, which explores the farthest reaches of our universe using neutrinos, reported the first observation of a high-energy astrophysical neutrino source in 2018. The source, TXS 0506+056, is a known blazar located off the left shoulder of the Orion constellation and 4 billion light-years away.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThese findings represent a significant improvement on a prior study on NGC 1068 published in 2020, according to \u003Cstrong\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/physics.gatech.edu\/user\/ignacio-taboada\u0022\u003EIgnacio Taboada\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/strong\u003E, a physics professor at the Georgia Institute of Technology and the spokesperson of the \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/icecube.wisc.edu\/collaboration\/meet-the-collaboration\/\u0022\u003EIceCube Collaboration\u003C\/a\u003E.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Part of this improvement came from enhanced techniques and part from a careful update of the detector calibration,\u0026rdquo; says Taboada. \u0026ldquo;Work by the detector operations and calibrations teams enabled better neutrino directional reconstructions to precisely pinpoint NGC 1068 and enable this observation. Resolving this source was made possible through enhanced techniques and refined calibrations, an outcome of the IceCube Collaboration\u0026rsquo;s hard work.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;One neutrino can single out a source. But only an observation with multiple neutrinos will reveal the obscured core of the most energetic cosmic objects,\u0026rdquo; says \u003Cstrong\u003EFrancis Halzen\u003C\/strong\u003E, a professor of physics at the University of Wisconsin\u0026ndash;Madison and principal investigator of IceCube. He adds, \u0026ldquo;IceCube has accumulated some 80 neutrinos of teraelectronvolt energy from NGC 1068, which are not yet enough to answer all our questions, but they definitely are the next big step towards the realization of neutrino astronomy.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EUnlike light, neutrinos can escape in large numbers from extremely dense environments in the universe and reach Earth largely undisturbed by matter and the electromagnetic fields that permeate extragalactic space. Although scientists envisioned neutrino astronomy more than 60 years ago, the weak interaction of neutrinos with matter and radiation makes their detection extremely difficult. Neutrinos could be key to our queries about the workings of the most extreme objects in the cosmos.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Answering these far-reaching questions about the universe that we live in is a primary focus of the U.S. National Science Foundation,\u0026rdquo; says \u003Cstrong\u003EDenise Caldwell\u003C\/strong\u003E, director of NSF\u0026rsquo;s Physics Division.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EAs is the case with our home galaxy, the Milky Way, NGC 1068 is a barred spiral galaxy, with loosely wound arms and a relatively small central bulge. However, unlike the Milky Way, NGC 1068 is an active galaxy where most radiation is not produced by stars but due to material falling into a black hole millions of times more massive than our Sun and even more massive than the inactive black hole in the center of our galaxy.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENGC 1068 is an active galaxy\u0026mdash;a Seyfert II type in particular\u0026mdash;seen from Earth at an angle that obscures its central region where the black hole is located. In a Seyfert II galaxy, a torus of nuclear dust obscures most of the high-energy radiation produced by the dense mass of gas and particles that slowly spiral inward toward the center of the galaxy.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Recent models of the black hole environments in these objects suggest that gas, dust, and radiation should block the gamma rays that would otherwise accompany the neutrinos,\u0026rdquo; says \u003Cstrong\u003EHans Niederhausen\u003C\/strong\u003E, a postdoctoral associate at Michigan State University and one of the main analyzers of the paper. \u0026ldquo;This neutrino detection from the core of NGC 1068 will improve our understanding of the environments around supermassive black holes.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENGC 1068 could become a standard candle for future neutrino telescopes, according to \u003Cstrong\u003ETheo Glauch\u003C\/strong\u003E, a postdoctoral associate at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), in Germany, and another main analyzer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It is already a very well-studied object for astronomers, and neutrinos will allow us to see this galaxy in a totally different way. A new view will certainly bring new insights,\u0026rdquo; says Glauch.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EThe improved analysis points the way toward superior neutrino observatories that are already in the works.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;It is great news for the future of our field,\u0026rdquo; says \u003Cstrong\u003EMarek Kowalski\u003C\/strong\u003E, an IceCube collaborator and senior scientist at Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, in Germany. \u0026ldquo;It means that with a new generation of more sensitive detectors there will be much to discover. The future IceCube-Gen2 observatory could not only detect many more of these extreme particle accelerators but would also allow their study at even higher energies. It\u0026rsquo;s as if IceCube handed us a map to a treasure trove.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EWith the neutrino measurements of TXS 0506+056 and NGC 1068, IceCube is one step closer to answering the century-old question of the origin of cosmic rays. Additionally, these results imply that there may be many more similar objects in the universe yet to be identified.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;The unveiling of the obscured universe has just started, and neutrinos are set to lead a new era of discovery in astronomy,\u0026rdquo; says \u003Cstrong\u003EElisa Resconi\u003C\/strong\u003E, a professor of physics at TUM and another main analyzer.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Several years ago, NSF initiated an ambitious project to expand our understanding of the universe by combining established capabilities in optical and radio astronomy with new abilities to detect and measure phenomena like neutrinos and gravitational waves,\u0026rdquo; says Caldwell. \u0026ldquo;The IceCube Neutrino Observatory\u0026rsquo;s identification of a neighboring galaxy as a cosmic source of neutrinos is just the beginning of this new and exciting field that promises insights into the undiscovered power of massive black holes and other fundamental properties of the universe.\u0026rdquo;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EThe IceCube Neutrino Observatory is funded and operated primarily through an award from the National Science Foundation to the University of Wisconsin\u0026ndash;Madison (OPP-2042807 and PHY-1913607). The IceCube Collaboration, with over 350 scientists in 58 institutions from around the world, runs an extensive scientific program that has established the foundations of neutrino astronomy.\u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/icecube.wisc.edu\/collaboration\/institutions\u0022\u003E https:\/\/icecube.wisc.edu\/collaboration\/institutions\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cem\u003EIceCube\u0026rsquo;s research efforts, including critical contributions to the detector operation, are funded by agencies in Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, Republic of Korea, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, the United Kingdom, and the United States. The IceCube EPSCoR Initiative (IEI) receives additional support through NSF-EPSCoR-2019597. IceCube construction was also funded with significant contributions from the National Fund for Scientific Research (FNRS \u0026amp; FWO) in Belgium; the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and the German Research Foundation (DFG) in Germany; the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation, the Swedish Polar Research Secretariat, and the Swedish Research Council in Sweden; and the University of Wisconsin\u0026ndash;Madison Research Fund in the U.S.\u003C\/em\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026ldquo;Evidence for neutrino emission from the nearby active galaxy NGC 1068,\u0026rdquo; The IceCube Collaboration: R. Abbasi et al., Science 378, 6619 (2022), \u003Ca href=\u0022https:\/\/icecube.wisc.edu\/news\/press-releases\/2022\/11\/icecube-neutrinos-give-us-first-glimpse-into-the-inner-depths-of-an-active-galaxy\/10.1126\/science.abg3395\u0022\u003EDOI:10.1126\/science.abg3395\u003C\/a\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"Ignacio Taboada is the spokesperson for international team of scientists using a massive Antarctica-based neutrino telescope to detect the particles coming from a supermassive black hole 47 million light-years from Earth"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EIgnacio Taboada, School of Physics professor, is the spokesperson for an international team of scientists using a massive Antarctica-based neutrino telescope to detect the particles coming from a supermassive black hole 47 million light-years from Earth.\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0026nbsp;\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"Ignacio Taboada, School of Physics professor, is the spokesperson for international team of scientists using a massive Antarctica-based neutrino telescope to detect the particles coming from a supermassive black hole 47 million light-years from Earth."}],"uid":"34434","created_gmt":"2022-11-04 14:52:02","changed_gmt":"2023-03-02 19:52:35","author":"Renay San Miguel","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2022-11-07T00:00:00-05:00","iso_date":"2022-11-07T00:00:00-05:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"662851":{"id":"662851","type":"image","title":"Hubble image of the spiral galaxy Messier 77, also known as NGC 1068. (Photo credit NASA\/ESA\/A. van Der Hoeven)","body":null,"created":"1667573876","gmt_created":"2022-11-04 14:57:56","changed":"1667573876","gmt_changed":"2022-11-04 14:57:56","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250976","name":"Neutrino galaxy.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Neutrino%20galaxy.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Neutrino%20galaxy.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":391793,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Neutrino%20galaxy.jpg?itok=CqXU5kDB"}},"662853":{"id":"662853","type":"image","title":"The IceCube Neutrino Laboratory (Photo credit Martin Wolf, IceCube\/NSF)","body":null,"created":"1667574101","gmt_created":"2022-11-04 15:01:41","changed":"1667574101","gmt_changed":"2022-11-04 15:01:41","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250978","name":"Ice Cube Lab exterior.jpg","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Ice%20Cube%20Lab%20exterior.jpg","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Ice%20Cube%20Lab%20exterior.jpg","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1048259,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Ice%20Cube%20Lab%20exterior.jpg?itok=Fgu800EZ"}},"662854":{"id":"662854","type":"image","title":"A neutrino detector about to be placed in the Antarctic ice. (Photo credit Mark Krasberg, IceCube\/NSF)","body":null,"created":"1667574218","gmt_created":"2022-11-04 15:03:38","changed":"1667574218","gmt_changed":"2022-11-04 15:03:38","alt":"","file":{"fid":"250979","name":"Neutrino detector in ice.JPG","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Neutrino%20detector%20in%20ice.JPG","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Neutrino%20detector%20in%20ice.JPG","mime":"image\/jpeg","size":1253036,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Neutrino%20detector%20in%20ice.JPG?itok=wnXuvycF"}},"662852":{"id":"662852","type":"image","title":"Ignacio Taboada, School of Physics professor, Center for Relativistic Astrophysics member, and spokesperson for IceCube South Pole Neutrino Observatory. ","body":null,"created":"1667573964","gmt_created":"2022-11-04 14:59:24","changed":"1680030804","gmt_changed":"2023-03-28 19:13:24","alt":"Ignacio Taboada, School of Physics professor, Center for Relativistic Astrophysics member, and spokesperson for IceCube South Pole Neutrino Observatory. ","file":{"fid":"250977","name":"Ignacio Taboada.png","image_path":"\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Ignacio%20Taboada.png","image_full_path":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/\/sites\/default\/files\/images\/Ignacio%20Taboada.png","mime":"image\/png","size":170273,"path_740":"http:\/\/hg.gatech.edu\/sites\/default\/files\/styles\/740xx_scale\/public\/images\/Ignacio%20Taboada.png?itok=wrkW9-_A"}}},"media_ids":["662851","662853","662854","662852"],"related_links":[{"url":"https:\/\/icecube.wisc.edu\/news\/press-releases\/2022\/11\/icecube-neutrinos-give-us-first-glimpse-into-the-inner-depths-of-an-active-galaxy\/","title":"IceCube neutrinos give us first glimpse into the inner depths of an active galaxy"},{"url":"https:\/\/www.wsj.com\/articles\/ghostly-neutrino-particles-provide-a-peek-at-heart-of-nearby-galaxy-11667497494?st=3ywzgoo0o8fu56q\u0026reflink=share_mobilewebshare","title":"Ghostly Neutrino Particles Provide a Peek at Heart of Nearby Galaxy (Wall Street Journal registration required)"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/ignacio-taboada-elected-spokesperson-icecube-south-pole-neutrino-observatory","title":"Ignacio Taboada Elected Spokesperson for IceCube South Pole Neutrino Observatory"},{"url":"https:\/\/cos.gatech.edu\/news\/icecube-neutrinos-point-long-sought-cosmic-ray-accelerator","title":"IceCube Neutrinos Point to Long-Sought Cosmic Ray Accelerator"}],"groups":[{"id":"1278","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"},{"id":"126011","name":"School of Physics"}],"categories":[{"id":"132","name":"Institute Leadership"},{"id":"135","name":"Research"},{"id":"150","name":"Physics and Physical Sciences"}],"keywords":[{"id":"192252","name":"cos-planetary"},{"id":"4896","name":"College of Sciences"},{"id":"166937","name":"School of Physics"},{"id":"30781","name":"Ignacio Taboada"},{"id":"178529","name":"IceCube Neutrino Observatory"},{"id":"191581","name":"IceCube Collaboration"},{"id":"11442","name":"neutrinos"},{"id":"191582","name":"NGC 1068"},{"id":"191583","name":"Messier 77"},{"id":"187423","name":"go-bio"},{"id":"187915","name":"go-researchnews"}],"core_research_areas":[{"id":"39501","name":"People and Technology"},{"id":"39541","name":"Systems"}],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EGeorgia Tech Editor: Renay San Miguel\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCommunications Officer II\/Science Writer\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\nCollege of Sciences\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n404-894-5209\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Contacts: \u003C\/strong\u003E\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003EIceCube Press\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:press@icecube.wisc.edu\u0022\u003Epress@icecube.wisc.edu\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n608-515-3831\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n\r\n\u003Cp\u003ENSF Media Affairs\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:media@nsf.gov\u0022\u003Emedia@nsf.gov\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\r\n703-292-7090\u003C\/p\u003E\r\n","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["renay.san@cos.gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}