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Neutrino and gamma-ray emissions from NGC 1068

Carlos Blanco1,2,*, Dan Hooper3,4,5,†, Tim Linden6,‡, and Elena Pinetti3,5,§

  • *Contact author: carlosblanco2718@princeton.edu
  • †Contact author: dhooper@fnal.gov
  • ‡Contact author: linden@fysik.su.se
  • §Contact author: epinetti@fnal.gov
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Phys. Rev. D 112, 123016 – Published 5 December, 2025

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/wnjh-7nwp

Abstract

IceCube has recently reported the detection of ∼1–10  TeV neutrinos from the nearby active galaxy, NGC 1068. The lack of TeV-scale emission from this source suggests that these neutrinos are generated in the dense corona that surrounds NGC 1068’s supermassive black hole. In this paper, we present a physical model for this source, including the processes of pair production, pion production, synchrotron, and inverse Compton scattering. We have also performed a new analysis of Fermi-LAT data from the direction of NGC 1068, finding that the gamma-ray emission from this source is very soft but bright at energies below ∼1  GeV. Our model can predict a gamma-ray spectrum that is consistent with Fermi-LAT observations when the magnetic field within the corona of this active galactic nucleus (AGN) is quite high, namely B≳6  kG. To explain the observed neutrino emission, this source must accelerate protons with a total power that is comparable to its intrinsic x-ray luminosity. In this context, we consider two additional nearby active galaxies, NGC 4151 and NGC 3079, which have been identified as promising targets for IceCube.

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Phys. Rev. D 112, 123016– Published 5 December, 2025
  • Received 5 April 2025
  • Accepted 27 October 2025
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