SEEKING THE SOURCES OF THE HIGHEST-ENERGY COSMIC NEUTRINOS WITH SWIFT

WE PROPOSE FURTHER PROMPT SEARCHES FOR X-RAY AND UV/OPTICAL COUNTERPARTS TO ICECUBE HIGH-ENERGY (E>-30 TEV) LIKELY-COSMIC NEUTRINOS WITH SWIFT. USING REALTIME HIGH-ENERGY EVENT RECONSTRUCTION ALGORITHMS RUNNING AT THE SOUTH POLE WE WILL SET THE SELECTION CRITERIA SUCH THAT WE WILL TRIGGER FOUR NEUTRINOS PER YEAR. THREE PROPOSED TRIGGERS WILL PROMPT A 7-POINTING MOSAIC BY SWIFT PROVIDING>50% COVERAGE OF THE NEUTRINO LOCALIZATION TO 1 KS DEPTH IN<10 HOURS WHILE ONE SINGLE PROPOSED TRIGGER WILL PROMPT A 19-POINTING MOSAIC PROVIDING -50% COVERAGE TO 1 KS DEPTH IN<16 HOURS. DISCOVERY OF EVEN A SINGLE ELECTROMAGNETIC COUNTERPART TO A HIGH-ENERGY NEUTRINO WOULD REVOLUTIONIZE OUR UNDERSTANDING OF THE SOURCE POPULATION AND POTENTIALLY REVEAL THE ORIGINS OF THE HIGHEST-ENERGY COSMIC RAYS.