Title: Next-Generation MeV Telescopes and Their Role in Understanding the Multi-Messenger Nature of Active Galactic Nuclei
Speaker name: Kavic Kumar (University of Maryland) Abstract: Active Galactic Nuclei (AGN) are promising candidates for the origin of high-energy cosmic rays and the production of astrophysical neutrinos. Recent IceCube analyses suggest that photo-hadronic interactions in the cores of Seyfert AGN may link X-ray, gamma-ray, and neutrino emission. In this work, I develop a framework to construct a multimessenger spectral energy distribution (SED) for NGC 4151: a nearby Seyfert galaxy identified as a potential neutrino source. This will allow me to test and constrain models of hadronic particle acceleration. This analysis is limited by the lack of observational coverage in the MeV band, which is essential for bridging the hard X-ray and GeV gamma-ray regimes. This motivates the development of a next-generation MeV telescope. I demonstrate the capability of AstroPix, a pixelated silicon detector, as a scalable technology for future MeV telescope implementation. I present the characterization and energy calibration of the first flight ready version of the detector: AstroPixV3. I also discuss its application in the AstroPix Sounding rocket Technology dEmonstration Payload (A-STEP) flight as a technology demonstration of AstroPixV3 in a spacelike environment, and a step towards future MeV missions.