abstract: The IceCube Neutrino Observatory has provided the first map of the high energy (~0.01 – 1 PeV) sky in neutrinos. Since neutrinos propagate undeflected, their arrival direction is an important identifier for sources of high energy particle acceleration. Reconstructed arrival directions are consistent with an extragalactic origin, with possibly a galactic component, of the neutrino flux. We present a statistical analysis of positional coincidences of the IceCube neutrinos with known astrophysical objects from several catalogs. For the brightest gamma-ray emitting blazars and for Seyfert galaxies, the numbers of coincidences is consistent with the random, or “null”, distribution. Instead, when considering starburst galaxies with the highest flux in gamma-rays and infrared radiation, up to n = 8 coincidences are found, representing an excess over the ~4 predicted for the null distribution. The probability that this excess is realized in the null case, the p-value, is p = 0.042. This value falls to p = 0.003 for a set of gamma-ray detected starburst galaxies and superbubbles in the galactic neighborhood. Therefore, it is possible that these might account for a subset of IceCube neutrinos. The physical plausibility of such correlation is discussed briefly. / Dissertation/Thesis / Masters Thesis Astrophysics 2015

The detection of high-energy neutrinos in the E > O(PeV) range requires newdetection techniques in order to cope with the decreasing flux. The radio detectionmethod uses Askaryan emission to detect these neutrinos. The propagation of theradio pulses has to be modeled carefully in order to estimate the properties of theneutrinos from the detected radio pulse. This report introduces a model whichwas implemented to the NuRadioMC code to simulate birefringence effects in theice of the South Pole. To do that, a new ice model was created which combinesthe density and directional dependence on the refractive index. With this icemodel and an analytical ray tracer the time delay and polarization resulting frombirefringence was simulated for different geometries. A directional dependenceon the magnitude of the time delay and the change of the polarization along thepropagation path was found. To model the mixing of the polarization states dueto this change in polarization a pulse propagation model was introduced. Timedelay calculations resulting from this model were compared to simulations andmeasurements from the ARA experiment and have shown good agreement.

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A new formalism is presented for calculating the mean intensity spectrum and angular power spectrum of gamma-rays or neutrinos from extragalactic annihilating dark matter, taking into account the dependence of the relative motions of the annihilating particles on the annihilation cross section. To model the large scale dark matter distribution of mass and relative velocities, the halo distribution model is comprehensively summarized, and extended to include a universal radial profile of the particles' velocity variance, based on results from N-body computer simulations of dark matter halos. A velocity variance profile, associated with the NFW density profile, is proposed by enforcing a power-law profile of the pseudo phase-space density. This allows the large-scale velocity distribution to be described by virialized, gravitationally bound dark matter halos, as opposed to thermal motions used to describe the velocity distribution in the early Universe. The recent particle motion history of the Universe is presented for the described model. Sample extragalactic gamma-ray intensities from dark matter annihilation are shown for dark matter annihilating with p-wave, according to a relative-velocity-weighted annihilation cross section sigmav = a + bv^2, for constants a and b, with examples taken from supersymmetric models. For thermally produced dark matter, the p-wave suppresses the signal intensity. If b/a > 10^6, the p-wave hardens the intensity spectrum by an estimated factor of 1 + (6b/a)delta_I (E_gamma), and increases the angular power spectrum by a factor also depending on new coefficients (delta_Cl)^(1) (E_gamma ) and (delta_Cl)^(2) (E_gamma ). The energy-dependence of the new p-wave coefficients delta_I , (delta_Cl)^(1) (E_gamma ), and (delta_Cl)^(2) (E_gamma ) are shown for various annihilation spectra. Sample intensity spectra are also presented for Sommerfeld-enhanced annihilation. The intensity of neutrinos from dark matter annihilation is also considered. The variations between the dark matter annihilation signals for different particle phenomenologies suggest that particle physics constraints are possible from an observed indirect detection signal. Calculations of the annihilation signal from the galactic halo are also shown. The extragalactic signal's intensity is found to be consistent in magnitude with the galactic intensity?within the uncertainty of the models of the dark matter distribution?when looking out from the galactic plane. This suggests that the total cosmic signal may have significant contributions from both components.

Artificial intelligence (AI) and deep learning have made a full impact on society the last decades, including the realm of particle physics. This thesis explores whether a neural network, a deep learning program mimicking the biological brain, can be used to reject noise in real time at the Radio Neutrino Observatory in Greenland (RNO-G). RNO-G aims to detect radio waves in the ice cape of Greenland, induced by ultra high energy neutrinos ($>10^{18}$ eV). Due to the low flux of neutrinos at these energies, it is desired to increase the sensititivty of RNO-G by lowering the trigger threshold as much as possible. However, lowering the threshold is currently limited by unavoidable thermal noise fluctuations that would otherwise saturate the detector. Previous research has shown that a neural network could be used on a similar neutrino detector, ARIANNA, to reject thermal noise in real time, thus making it possible to lower the trigger threshold below the noise floor. This thesis aims to do the same for RNO-G.

The Standard Model of particle physics successfully describes present collider data. Nevertheless, theoretical and cosmological results call for its extension. A softly broken supersymmetric completion around the TeV scale solves several of the outstanding issues. Supersymmetry requires two Higgs doublets, leading to five physical Higgs states. These include a pair of charged Higgs bosons H±, which are a generic feature of theories with multiple Higgs doublets. Using results from high-energy colliders and flavour physics, constraints are derived on the charged Higgs boson mass and couplings; both for constrained scenarios in the minimal supersymmetric standard model (MSSM) with grand unification, and for general two-Higgs-doublet models. The MSSM results are compared to the projected reach for charged Higgs searches at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC). At the LHC, a light charged Higgs is accessible through top quark decay. Beyond a discovery, it is demonstrated how angular distributions sensitive to top quark spin correlations can be used to determine the structure of the H±tb coupling. The public code 2HDMC, which performs calculations in a general, CP-conserving, two-Higgs-doublet model, is introduced. In parallel to the developments at colliders, the most energetic particles ever recorded are the ultra-high-energy (UHE) cosmic rays. To gain more insight into their origin, new experiments are searching for UHE neutrinos. These searches require detectors of vast volume, which can be achieved by searching for coherent radio pulses arising from the Askaryan effect. The prospects of using a satellite orbiting the Moon to search for neutrino interactions are investigated, and a similar study for an Earth-based radio telescope is presented. In both cases, the method is found competitive for detection of the very highest energy neutrinos considered.

L'Univers est continûement le théâtre d'événements explosifs capables de relâcher une énorme quantité d'énergie sur des courtes échelles de temps. Ces sources transitoires comme les sursauts gamma, les supernovae ou les noyaux actifs de galaxie sont souvent associées à des objets extrêmes comme des étoiles à neutrons ou des trous noirs. De manière générale, ces sources émettent des radiations électromagnétiques dans une large bande spectrale voire sur la totalité du spectre pour les cas les plus extrêmes. Dès lors, une analyse multi-longueur d'onde est vitale pour étudier et comprendre la physique complexe de ces objets. De plus, au voisinage de ces sources, des particules (rayons cosmiques, RC) pourraient être efficacement accélérées jusqu'à des énergies très elevées dans des processus de chocs violents. L'interaction de ces RCs avec l'environnement peut conduire à la production d'un nombre significatif de neutrinos de hautes énergies. Par conséquent, l'étude des objets transitoires par le biais de l'astronomie neutrino offre la possibilité d'identifier enfin la nature des puissants accélérateurs cosmiques.Cette thèse est dédiée à l'étude de deux sources transitoires parmi les plus extrêmes dans l'Univers : les sursauts gamma (en anglais, Gamma-Ray Bursts : GRBs) détectés il y a ~ 50 ans et les sursauts radio (en anglais, Fast Radio Bursts : FRBs) fraîchement découverts il y a ~ 15 ans. Ces sources sont caractérisées par l'émission "prompte" d'un flash gamma (keV-MeV) durant de quelques ms à plusieurs secondes dans le cadre des GRBs et d'un flash intense en radio (GHz) durant quelques ms pour les FRBs. Dans le cas des GRBs une émission rémanente dite "afterglow" est observée dans une large gamme spectrale (X, visible et radio) alors que jusqu'à présent aucune autre contrepartie électromagnétique provenant d'un FRB n'a été découverte. Ces dernières années des modèles d'émission multi-longueur d'onde et multi-messager ont été développés afin d'expliquer ces 2 phénomènes. L'objectif majeur de ce travail de thèse est de tester ces modèles d'émission afin de contraindre la physique et la nature de ces deux objets. Pour cela, une analyse détaillée des propriétés physiques de l'émission afterglow des GRBs a été menée grâce à un large échantillon de données collectées ces 20 dernières années par diverses télescopes. Cette étude a permis de mettre en évidence les lacunes et les réussites du modèle GRB dit "standard" mais aussi les liens physiques subtils existant entre l'émission prompte des GRBs et leurs rémanences. Une recherche de signal neutrino en coïncidence avec les GRBs/FRBs a aussi été réalisée avec le télescope à neutrinos ANTARES. Les résultats sont décrits dans cette thèse ainsi que les contraintes apportées sur les processus d'accélération des particules durant ces phénomènes transitoires. Enfin, ce manuscrit rend compte des différents programmes d'observations innovants qui ont été engagés sur les télescopes optiques TAROT et Zadko et le télescope à neutrinos ANTARES afin de contraindre la nature des progéniteurs des GRBs/FRBs. / The Universe is continuously the scene of explosive events capable of releasing a tremendous amount of energy in short time scales. These transients like Gamma-Ray Bursts, Supernovae or Active Galactic Nuclei are often associated with extreme objects such as neutron stars or black holes. Generally, these sources emit light in a large spectral energy range and sometimes in the whole electromagnetic spectrum for the most extreme cases. Thus, a multi-wavelength analysis is crucial to study and understand the complex physical processes at work. Furthermore, in the vicinity of these sources, particles (cosmic-rays, CRs) could be efficiently accelerated up to very high energies by violent shock mecanisms. The interaction of these CRs with the surrounding environment may lead to a substantial production of high-energy neutrinos. Therefore, the study of the high-energy transient objects through neutrino astronomy offer the possibility to finally identify the nature of the powerful cosmic accelerators a hundred year after the discovery of the cosmic-rays.This thesis is dedicated to the study of two transient sources among the most extreme ones observed in the Universe: the Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs) detected ~ 50 years ago and the Fast Radio Bursts (FRBs) newly discovered ~ 15 years ago. These sources are characterised by the "prompt" emission of a gamma-ray flash (keV-MeV) lasting few ms up to few seconds for GRBs and an intense pulse of radio light (GHz) lasting few ms for FRBs. In the case of GRBs a late broadband afterglow emission is observed in X-rays/optical/radio domain while up to now no other electromagnetic counterpart has ever been detected in coincidence with any FRBs. These last years, many models predicting a multi-wavelength and a multi-messenger emission from these two phenomena have been developped. The main goal of this thesis work is to test these models in order to constrain the physics and the nature of the GRBs/FRBs. To do so, a detailed analysis on the physical properties of the GRB afterglow emission was made thanks to a large set of data collected these last 20 years by various facilities. The study reveals the major problems but also the successes encountered with the so-called "standard" GRB model. Subtle connections between the prompt and the afterglow emission are also discussed. In addition, a search for a neutrino signal from GRBs/FRBs was realised with the ANTARES neutrino telescope. The results are described in this thesis as well as the constraints on the particle acceleration mecanisms occuring during these transient phenomena.At last, this manuscript presents the different innovative observational programs realised in the optical domain with the TAROT and Zadko telescopes and in the astroparticle side with the ANTARES neutrino telescope in order to probe the nature of the GRBs/FRBs progenitors.