TITLE:   GCN CIRCULAR
NUMBER:  26751
SUBJECT: LIGO/Virgo S200114f: Constraints on a CCSN origin from KM3NeT MeV neutrino search. 
DATE:    20/01/14 22:22:57 GMT
FROM:    Alexis Coleiro at APC/U. Paris Diderot  <coleiro@apc.in2p3.fr>

M. Colomer (APC, Universite de Paris), M. Lincetto (Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS/IN2P3, CPPM), A. Coleiro (APC, Universite de Paris), D. Dornic (Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS/IN2P3, CPPM), V. Kulikovskiy (INFN - Sezione di Genova), report on behalf of the KM3NeT Collaboration:


Using online data from the KM3NeT ORCA detector, we have performed a follow-up analysis of the recently reported gravitational-wave (GW) burst candidate S200114f (GCN #26734) to investigate the possibility that this burst was emitted by a core-collapse supernova (CCSN) event.

KM3NeT can detect ~10 MeV neutrinos from a Galactic CCSN through a collective rise of the photomultiplier (PMT) detection rates on top of the noise, due to the Cherenkov light produced by the interaction of electron antineutrinos through inverse beta decay. This is expected mostly during the CCSN accretion phase (lasting a few hundred ms) where most of the electron antineutrinos are supposed to be emitted [1].

Two events were observed with the CCSN trigger in the KM3NeT/ORCA online infrastructure during a 400 ms time-window starting at the time of the GW trigger while 1.4 events are expected on average from the background at trigger time (p-value = 40.1%). KM3NeT/ARCA, due to a programmed upgrade of the on-shore station in Capo Passero, is off temporarily.

Using the Feldman and Cousins approach, a 90% confidence level upper limit on the number of signal events is estimated. Assuming two progenitor models from the Garching group [2] with masses of 27 Msun and 11.2 Msun, we derive a lower limit on the distance of the potential source of 11.5 kpc and 6.1 kpc respectively.

Moreover, assuming a quasi-thermal neutrino spectrum as in [2] with a spectral pinching parameter value of 3 and a mean neutrino energy of 15 MeV and assuming that 70% of the energy is released in the 400 ms, we estimate the total energy emitted into neutrinos from this GW burst candidate to be E < 2.9e53 erg at 10 kpc.

The KM3NeT detectors are currently under construction in the Mediterranean Sea. The KM3NeT/ORCA detector currently comprises an array of 4 detection lines and KM3NeT/ARCA detector hosts one line. Each detection line contains 18 digital optical modules hosting 31 directional PMTs.


[1] M. Colomer, M. Lincetto et al. (on behalf of the KM3NeT collaboration), PoS(ICRC2019)857
[2] I. Tamborra et al., Phys. Rev. D, 90 (2014)