Project description
Pioneering multi-messenger study on blazars
High-energy photons and neutrinos are essential to shed light on cosmic rays. The discovery of neutrino emission from the direction of the γ-ray flaring blazar TXS 0506+056 in 2017 led to γ-ray blazars being considered as promising neutrino point sources and consequently as likely cosmic rays accelerators. However, we still do not have a consistent picture of the physical mechanism nor a theoretical framework able to adequately explain the entire range of multi-messenger observations. The EU-funded MessMapp project will conduct the first systematic multi-messenger and time-domain study of the blazar population. It aims to establish blazars as the first class of extragalactic neutrino sources with high certainty. The results will revolutionise our understanding of blazars and high-energy astrophysical neutrinos phenomenology, and guide next-generation multi-messenger observatories.
Objective
"The existence of cosmic rays proves that our Universe hosts elusive astrophysical ""monsters"" capable of continuously and efficiently accelerating particles at extreme energies. High-energy photons and neutrinos are the key to ultimately decipher the mystery of cosmic rays. In 2017, the discovery of neutrino emission from the direction of the γ-ray flaring blazar TXS 0506+056 has put forward γ-ray blazars as promising neutrino point-sources, hence cosmic-ray accelerators. However, to date there is neither a consistent picture for the physical mechanism nor a theoretical framework capable of convincingly explain the full set of multimessenger observations. The aim of this proposal is to conduct the first systematic multimessenger (electromagnetic and neutrino) and time-domain study of the blazar population. Differently from any previous attempt, I will tackle the challenge from both the theoretical and observational angle on a large sample. The primary goal is to establish blazars as the first class of extragalactic neutrino sources at high confidence. The holy grail of multimessenger astrophysics is to prove - both from the observational and physical point of view - an incontrovertible causality connection between diverse population of particles. This study will revolutionize our understanding of the blazar astrophysical framework, as well as lay the foundations for future discoveries and serve as guidance for the next-generation multimessenger observatories."
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Funding Scheme
ERC-STG - Starting GrantHost institution
97070 Wuerzburg
Germany