WoU-MMA: Collaborative Research: Advancing the SuperNova Early Warning System

The end of the life of a massive star may result in a core collapse that produces a supernova. The energy released in these extreme astrophysical events is primarily carried away in the form of neutrinos produced during the collapse of the core. Since neutrinos interact only weakly with matter, compared to photons, they escape the supernova explosion without delay, arriving at Earth minutes to hours ahead of the optical component of the event. Neutrinos may therefore be harnessed as an early notification of the supernova that may trigger extensive follow-up observations of these relatively rare events within the galactic neighborhood. This award supports a collaborative group of scientists at several institutions to continue upgrading the SuperNovae Early Warning System (SNEWS), a state-of-the-art network between neutrino and dark matter detectors around the globe designed to provide automated prompt alerts of impending supernovae in our galaxy to the astronomical community. The team, consisting of experimentalists and phenomenologists with expertise in supernova physics, will develop optimizations to the SNEWS 2.0 system to enhance the detection capabilities. The awarded activities include the development of a follow-up strategy involving the amateur astronomer community, as well as a topical multi-lingual planetarium show developed for world-wide distribution.The onset of the next Galactic core-collapse supernova will be a rare opportunity to advance knowledge in both multi-messenger astrophysics and fundamental physics. The SNEWS program provides the means to observe a galactic supernova in neutrinos and, due to the early alarm, the onset of the supernova light curve. Benchmarking of the system components via a series of realtime readiness tests will improve the network’s robustness, performance and capabilities. Building on the existing network architecture for multi-messenger astronomy, the updated system will provide the ability to identify bursts of pre-supernova and supernova neutrinos, and therefore enhance the ability to localize the neutrino arrival directions for electromagnetic follow-up. This project advances the goals of the NSF Windows on the Universe Big Idea.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.