High-Synchrotron-Peaked BL Lacs as Multi-Messenger Sources: Connecting Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos

Abstract

High-synchrotron-peaked (HSP) BL Lac objects are extreme particle accelerators whose synchrotron emission peaks at high frequencies, typically in the UV-to-X-ray band ($ν_{\rm peak} > 10^{15}$ Hz; $ν_{\rm peak} \geq 10^{17}$ for EHSPs), implying electron Lorentz factors of order $10^5-10^6$. Their relative proximity ($z \geq 0.5$), clean radiation environments, and favorable Hillas parameters make them prime candidates for ultra-high-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) acceleration beyond $10^{19}$ eV and for neutrino production above 100 TeV. The 2017 association of IceCube-170922A with the flaring blazar TXS 0506+056 provided compelling evidence for blazars as neutrino sources, while an archival neutrino flare from 2014-2015 with no clear electromagnetic counterpart (13 events) revealed additional complexity in the emission mechanism. This review examines HSP physical properties, identifies them through WISE-based infrared selection (the 2WHSP and 3HSP catalogs, approximately 2000 sources), and contrasts leptonic synchrotron self-Compton models with hadronic alternatives. We assess the observational evidence linking HSPs to high-energy neutrinos and UHECRs, finding that extreme baryonic loading ($L_p/L_e \sim 10^3-10^5$) strains energetic budgets, Auger composition measurements favor heavy nuclei over proton-dominated scenarios, and the near-isotropy of UHECR arrival directions is difficult to reconcile with rare beamed sources. Potential resolutions involving magnetic reconnection, structured jets, and duty cycle effects are discussed. Next-generation facilities, including IceCube-Gen2, KM3NeT, CTAO, IXPE, and AugerPrime/TA x 4, will probe key observables to either establish HSP BL Lacs as sources of the highest-energy cosmic particles or redirect the search toward alternative accelerator classes.