arXiv subjects

Ilaria Viale

Publications and source records attributed to Ilaria Viale.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

TXS 0506+056-like blazar sources and their role as possible neutrino emitters

The interest in blazars as candidate neutrino emitters grew after the 3$σ$ evidence for a contemporaneous joint photon and neutrino emission from the flaring blazar TXS 0506+056 in 2017. Blazars, a class of extragalactic sources with relativistic jets pointing toward Earth, present a broadband emission interpretable via leptonic and hadronic processes, the latter relevant for proton acceleration and neutrino production. Several emission models have been developed to explain this multi-messenger observation, but the details of the neutrino production and the nature of TXS 0506+056 are not yet fully understood. In this work we investigate the properties of sources similar to TXS 0506+056. We select a sample of blazars from the Fermi 4LAC-DR2 catalog by constraining a number of key parameters in ranges centered on TXS 0506+056 values. We estimate their disk accretion efficiency and model their spectral energy distribution (SED) in terms of lepto-hadronic emission, gaining information respectively on the potential similarity of their environment with that of TXS 0506+056 and on their neutrino flux and detectability prospects at TeV energies. Our study shows the candidates' high energy emission to be dominated by leptonic processes. Part of them also show a high accretion rate, characteristic of FSRQs. For these sources, the very high energy (VHE) and neutrino fluxes appear undetectable by current and future instruments in an average emission state.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2025

SkyNET-scape Room: An Escape Room to Explore Astroparticle Physics

Innovative science communication is key to engaging the public with complex topics such as astroparticle physics. As part of the Italian PRIN 2022 funding initiative, we are developing SkyNET-scape Room, an interactive escape room designed to introduce participants to the main messengers of the high-energy universe, namely cosmic rays, gamma rays, and neutrinos. The experience is structured into three interactive stations, each focusing on a specific messenger and its detection method. Small teams of visitors will collaborate to solve puzzles and quizzes related to gamma-ray observations, neutrino detection, and cosmic-ray composition. Using a combination of audio, video, and written materials, participants will engage with real scientific concepts while working together to "escape." The ultimate goal is to spark curiosity, teamwork, and excitement for science, making astroparticle physics more accessible and engaging. In this contribution, we will present the design, implementation, and preliminary feedback from test sessions, emphasizing how gamification and interactive storytelling can serve as powerful tools for public engagement.

physics.ed-ph↗

arXiv2023

tilepy: rapid tiling strategies in mid/small FoV observatories

The challenges inherent to time-domain multi-messenger astronomy require strategic actions so that adapted, optimized follow-up observations are performed efficiently. In particular, poorly localized events require dedicated tiling and/or targeted, follow-up campaigns so that the region in which the source really is can be efficiently covered, increasing the chances to detect the multi-wavelength counterpart. We have developed the python package "tilepy" to rapidly derive the observation scheduling of large uncertainty localization events by small/mid-FoV instruments. We will describe several mature follow-up scheduling strategies. These range from an option to use of low-resolution grids, to the full integration of sky regions and targeted observations using galaxy catalogs. The algorithms consider the visibility constraints of customisable observatories and allow to schedule observations in both astronomical darkness and in moonlight conditions. Developed initially to provide a rapid response to gravitational wave (GW) alerts by Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs), they have been proven successful, as shown by the GW follow-up during O2 and O3 with the H.E.S.S. telescopes, and particularly in the follow-up of GW170817, the first binary neutron star (BNS) merger ever detected. Here we will present a generalisation of these rapid strategies to other alerts showing large uncertainties in the localization, like Gamma-Ray Burst (GRB) alerts from Fermi-GBM. We will also demonstrate the flexibility of {\it tilepy} in scheduling observations for a large variety of observatories. We will conclude by describing the latest developments of these algorithms that are able to derive optimised follow-up schedules across multiple observatories and networks of telescopes.

astro-ph.IM↗