An Accretion Flare Interpretation for the Ultra-High-Energy Neutrino Event KM3-230213A

Abstract

We study the origin of the ultra-high-energy (UHE) neutrino event KM3-230213A detected by KM3NeT, focusing on MRC 0614-083 which has been pinpointed as the closest blazar to the neutrino localization exhibiting variable multi-wavelength emission. A joint interpretation of the optical, infrared, and X-ray light curves suggests that MRC 0614-083 has undergone a super-Eddington accretion flare accompanied by efficient proton acceleration. That flare has initiated a delayed infrared echo within the surrounding dust torus, which serves as a target for photomeson ($p\gamma$) interactions such that a self-consistent picture emerges that complements the blazar jet scenario: the predicted UHE neutrino flux is at the level expected from joint $E^{-2}$ fit with the IceCube measurements at lower energies, the variable nature of the event alleviates the tension with IceCube limits, and the accompanying electromagnetic cascade describes the X-ray flare around the neutrino detection time. Since a key remaining uncertainty is the unknown redshift of the source, we strongly encourage optical/ultraviolet spectroscopic measurements to determine its redshift.