Implementation and first results of the KM3NeT real-time core-collapse supernova neutrino search
S. Aiello (INFN, Sezione di Catania, Via Santa Sofia 64, Catania, 95123, Italy); A. Albert (Université de Strasbourg, CNRS, IPHC UMR 7178, Strasbourg, 67000, France, Université de Haute Alsace, Rue des Frères Lumière, Mulhouse Cedex, 68093, France); M. Alshamsi (Université de Paris, CNRS, Astroparticule et Cosmologie, Paris, 75013, France); S. Alves Garre (IFIC-Instituto de Física Corpuscular (CSIC-Universitat de València), c/Catedrático José Beltrán, 2, Paterna, Valencia, 46980, Spain); Z. Aly (Aix Marseille Univ, CNRS/IN2P3, CPPM, Marseille, France); et al - Show all 244 authors
The KM3NeT research infrastructure is unconstruction in the Mediterranean Sea. KM3NeT will study atmospheric and astrophysical neutrinos with two multi-purpose neutrino detectors, ARCA and ORCA, primarily aimed at GeV–PeV neutrinos. Thanks to the multi-photomultiplier tube design of the digital optical modules, KM3NeT is capable of detecting the neutrino burst from a Galactic or near-Galactic core-collapse supernova. This potential is already exploitable with the first detection units deployed in the sea. This paper describes the real-time implementation of the supernova neutrino search, operating on the two KM3NeT detectors since the first months of 2019. A quasi-online astronomy analysis is introduced to study the time profile of the detected neutrinos for especially significant events. The mechanism of generation and distribution of alerts, as well as the integration into the SNEWS and SNEWS 2.0 global alert systems, are described. The approach for the follow-up of external alerts with a search for a neutrino excess in the archival data is defined. Finally, an overview of the current detector capabilities and a report after the first two years of operation are given.
