Prospects for extending the core-collapse supernova detection horizon using high-energy neutrinos

Abstract

Large neutrino detectors like IceCube monitor for core-collapse supernovae using low energy (MeV) neutrinos, with a reach to a supernova neutrino burst to the Magellanic Cloud. However, some models predict the emission of high energy neutrinos (GeV-TeV) from core-collapse supernovae through the interaction of ejecta with circumstellar material and (TeV-PeV) through choked jets. In this paper, we explore the detection horizon of IceCube for core-collapse supernovae using high-energy neutrinos from these models. We examine the potential of two high-energy neutrino data samples from IceCube, one that performs best in the northern sky and one that has better sensitivity in the southern sky. We demonstrate that by using high-energy neutrinos from core-collapse supernovae, the detection reach can be extended to the Mpc range, far beyond what is accessible through low-energy neutrinos. Looking ahead to IceCube-Gen2, this reach will be extended considerably.