Optical Observations Reveal Strong Evidence for High Energy Neutrino Progenitor

Authors :: Lipunov, V. M.
Kornilov, V. G.
Zhirkov, K. K.
Gorbovskoy, E. S.
Budnev, N. M.
Buckley, D. A. H.
Rebolo, R.
Serra-Ricart, M.
Podesta, R.
Tyurina, N.
Gress, O.
Sergienko, Yu.
Yurkov, V.
Gabovich, A.
Balanutsa, P.
Gorbunov, I.
Vlasenko, D.
Balakin, F.
Topolev, V.
Pozdnyakov, A.
Kuznetsov, A.
Vladimirov, V.
Chasovnikov, A.
Kuvshinov, D.
Grinshpun, V.
Minkina, E.
Petkov, V. B.
Svertilov, S. I.
Lopez, C.
Podesta, F.
Levato, H.
Tlatov, A.
van Soelen, B.
Razzaque, S.
Böttcher, M.
Source :: The Astrophysical Journal Letters, 2020
Publication Year :: 2020
Abstract: We present the earliest astronomical observation of a high energy neutrino error box in which its variability was discovered after high-energy neutrinos detection. The one robotic telescope of the MASTER global international network (Lipunov et al. 2010) automatically imaged the error box of the very high-energy neutrino event IceCube-170922A. Observations were carried out in minute after the IceCube-170922A neutrino event was detected by the IceCube observatory at the South Pole. MASTER found the blazar TXS 0506+056 to be in the off-state after one minute and then switched to the on-state no later than two hours after the event. The effect is observed at a 50-sigma significance level. Also we present own unique 16-years light curve of blazar TXS 0506+056 (518 data set).<br />Comment: 17 pages, 3 figures, 1 Table accepted to The Astrophysical Journal Letters