Collaborative Research: SNEWS: The SuperNova Early Warning System

World-wide, several currently running detectors are sensitive to a prompt core collapse supernova neutrino signal in the Galaxy. The Supernova Neutrino Early Warning System (SNEWS) system will provide a high-confidence early warning of a supernovas occurrence to the astronomical community using a coincidence of neutrino signals from these detectors. This alert exploits the prompt neutrino signal's several-hour lead time over the shock breakout which produces the first optical signs of the explosion. The SNEWS alert may also be able to serve as a trigger for detectors (e.g. gravitational wave detectors) which might not able to trigger on a supernova signal by themselves, allowing extra data to be saved. Early warning of an impending galactic supernova will maximize the chances of very early electromagnetic observations of a nearby supernova, a previously unobserved phenomenon. In addition, the SNEWS collaboration aims to optimize global sensitivity to supernova neutrinos via such activities as downtime coordination amongst the participating neutrino experiments.

SNEWS has been operational since 1998, and has been running in a fully-automated mode since 2005 with near-100% up-time. This award will provide funds to maintain preparedness for a supernova and to further expand connections to the astronomical community.

Broader Impacts: SNEWS provides tremendous educational and outreach opportunities. It has an excellent track record of involving undergraduate and graduate physics students in the project. Additionally and very importantly, the amateur astronomer community is an integral part of the early warning system. Amateur astronomers are skilled and enthusiastic, have wide angle viewing capabilities and are widespread around the globe. The prompt pointing information from the neutrino signal may well be insufficient to guide larger telescopes, and it is not unlikely that the location of a supernova will be first pinpointed by an amateur. Few programs offer to the general public the chance of making a really significant contribution to science, as SNEWS does.