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  • Letter
  • Open Access

Neutrinos as a new tool to characterize the Milky Way Center

Paul C. W. Lai1,*, Beatrice Crudele2,†, Matteo Agostini2,‡, Hayden P. H. Ng2,§, Ellis R. Owen3,4,∥, Nishta Varma2,¶, and Kinwah Wu1,**

  • 1Mullard Space Science Laboratory, University College London, Holmbury St. Mary, Surrey RH5 6NT, United Kingdom
  • 2Department of Physics and Astronomy, University College London, Gower Street, London, WC1E 6BT, United Kingdom
  • 3Theoretical Astrophysics, Department of Earth and Space Science, Graduate School of Science, The University of Osaka, Toyonaka, Osaka 560-0043, Japan
  • 4Astrophysical Big Bang Laboratory (ABBL), RIKEN Pioneering Research Institute (PRI), Wakō, Saitama, 351-0198 Japan

  • *Contact author: chong.lai.22@ucl.ac.uk
  • †Contact author: beatrice.crudele.22@ucl.ac.uk
  • ‡Contact author: matteo.agostini@ucl.ac.uk
  • §Contact author: ping.ng.21@ucl.ac.uk
  • ∥Contact author: ellis.owen@riken.jp
  • Contact author: nishta.varma.23@ucl.ac.uk
  • **Contact author: kinwah.wu@ucl.ac.uk
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Phys. Rev. D 113, L061306 – Published 31 March, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/8djy-66pc

Abstract

The central molecular zone (CMZ), a star-forming region rich in molecular clouds located within hundreds of parsecs from the center of our Galaxy, converts gas into stars less efficiently than anticipated. A key challenge in refining star-formation models is the lack of precise mapping of these dense molecular hydrogen clouds, where traditional tracers often yield inconsistent results. We demonstrate how, in the near future, neutrinos will emerge as a robust mass tracer due to worldwide advancements in neutrino telescopes. Neutrinos are produced alongside gamma-rays when cosmic-rays interact with molecular clouds. The neutrino production rate is proportional to the gas density without dependence on the complex properties of a cloud. Neutrinos also have the advantage of negligible absorption and unambiguous production channels, making it a method with the lowest systematic uncertainties. In an optimistic case where most gamma-ray emission from the Galactic Center region originates from pion decays, we expect several tens of muon neutrinos to be detected in about two decades. Neutrinos from the CMZ will provide indications on the biases of traditional mass tracers and thus indirectly enhance the accuracy of gas measurements in far galaxies from which a neutrino signal is not detectable.

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Phys. Rev. D 113, L061306– Published 31 March, 2026
  • Received 4 April 2025
  • Revised 19 December 2025
  • Accepted 11 February 2026
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