Speaker:  Dr. Sreetama Goswami

Host: Prof. Nepomuk Otte

Title: Search for Neutrino Emission from Promising Sources 

Abstract:
The source of most high-energy astrophysical neutrinos remains unknown. These neutrinos are expected to be produced in hadronic interactions within cosmic accelerators, which also generate high-energy gamma rays. However, no clear association has been established between neutrinos and gamma-ray–bright sources yet.

Instead, environments that are opaque to gamma rays, where high-energy photons are absorbed and reprocessed, are the most likely source. Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN), particularly those with obscured cores, are among the most promising candidates in this class. In such systems, gamma rays undergo further interactions and decay into MeV gamma rays or hard X-rays, which is supported by the observed excess of neutrinos from hard X-ray detected AGN such as NGC 1068 and NGC 4151. 

In this talk, I will present recent IceCube searches for neutrino emission from promising AGN populations, including Seyfert galaxies and hard X-ray–selected AGN. I will also discuss the ongoing search focusing on highly obscured sources and the implications for identifying the dominant sources of the astrophysical neutrino flux.