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B. W. Pointon

Publications and source records attributed to B. W. Pointon.

39 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Search for Tens of MeV Neutrinos associated with Gamma-Ray Bursts in Super-Kamiokande

A search for neutrinos produced in coincidence with Gamma-Ray Bursts(GRB) was conducted with the Super-Kamiokande (SK) detector. Between December 2008 and March 2017, the Gamma-ray Coordinates Network recorded 2208 GRBs that occurred during normal SK operation. Several time windows around each GRB were used to search for coincident neutrino events. No statistically significant signal in excess of the estimated backgrounds was detected. The $\barν_e$ fluence in the range from 8 MeV to 100 MeV in positron total energy for $\barν_e+p\rightarrow e^{+}+n$ was found to be less than $\rm 5.07\times10^5$ cm$^{-2}$ per GRB in 90\% C.L. Upper bounds on the fluence as a function of neutrino energy were also obtained.

astro-ph.HE↗

SNEWS 2.0: A Next-Generation SuperNova Early Warning System for Multi-messenger Astronomy

The next core-collapse supernova in the Milky Way or its satellites will represent a once-in-a-generation opportunity to obtain detailed information about the explosion of a star and provide significant scientific insight for a variety of fields because of the extreme conditions found within. Supernovae in our galaxy are not only rare on a human timescale but also happen at unscheduled times, so it is crucial to be ready and use all available instruments to capture all possible information from the event. The first indication of a potential stellar explosion will be the arrival of a bright burst of neutrinos. Its observation by multiple detectors worldwide can provide an early warning for the subsequent electromagnetic fireworks, as well as signal to other detectors with significant backgrounds so they can store their recent data. The Supernova Early Warning System (SNEWS) has been operating as a simple coincidence between neutrino experiments in automated mode since 2005. In the current era of multi-messenger astronomy there are new opportunities for SNEWS to optimize sensitivity to science from the next Galactic supernova beyond the simple early alert. This document is the product of a workshop in June 2019 towards design of SNEWS 2.0, an upgraded SNEWS with enhanced capabilities exploiting the unique advantages of prompt neutrino detection to maximize the science gained from such a valuable event.

astro-ph.HE↗

Search for proton decay via $p\to e^+π^0$ and $p\to μ^+π^0$ with an enlarged fiducial volume in Super-Kamiokande I-IV

We have searched for proton decay via $p\to e^+π^0$ and $p\to μ^+π^0$ modes with the enlarged fiducial volume data of Super-Kamiokande from April 1996 to May 2018, which corresponds to 450 kton$\cdot$years exposure. We have accumulated about 25% more livetime and enlarged the fiducial volume of the Super-Kamiokande detector from 22.5 kton to 27.2 kton for this analysis, so that 144 kton$\cdot$years of data, including 78 kton$\cdot$years of additional fiducial volume data, has been newly analyzed. No candidates have been found for $p\to e^+π^0$ and one candidate remains for $p\to μ^+π^0$ in the conventional 22.5 kton fiducial volume and it is consistent with the atmospheric neutrino background prediction. We set lower limits on the partial lifetime for each of these modes: $τ/B(p\to e^+π^0) > 2.4 \times 10^{34}$ years and $τ/B(p\to μ^+π^0) > 1.6 \times 10^{34}$ years at 90% confidence level.

hep-ex↗