Limit on the diffuse flux of ultrahigh energy tau neutrinos with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
5-1-2009
Abstract
Data collected at the Pierre Auger Observatory are used to establish an upper limit on the diffuse flux of tau neutrinos in the cosmic radiation. Earth-skimming ντ may interact in the Earth's crust and produce a τ lepton by means of charged-current interactions. The τ lepton may emerge from the Earth and decay in the atmosphere to produce a nearly horizontal shower with a typical signature, a persistent electromagnetic component even at very large atmospheric depths. The search procedure to select events induced by τ decays against the background of normal showers induced by cosmic rays is described. The method used to compute the exposure for a detector continuously growing with time is detailed. Systematic uncertainties in the exposure from the detector, the analysis, and the involved physics are discussed. No τ neutrino candidates have been found. For neutrinos in the energy range 2×1017eV < Eν < 2×1019eV, assuming a diffuse spectrum of the form Eν-2, data collected between 1 January 2004 and 30 April 2008 yield a 90% confidence-level upper limit of Eν2dNντ/dEν < 9×10- 8GeVcm-2s-1sr-1. © 2009 The American Physical Society.
Publication Title
Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology
Recommended Citation
Abraham, J.,
Abreu, P.,
Aglietta, M.,
Aguirre, C.,
Ahn, E.,
Allard, D.,
Allekotte, I.,
Allen, J.,
Allison, P.,
Alvarez-Muñiz, J.,
Ambrosio, M.,
Anchordoqui, L.,
Andringa, S.,
Anzalone, A.,
Aramo, C.,
Argirò, S.,
Arisaka, K.,
Arneodo, F.,
Arqueros, F.,
Asch, T.,
Asorey, H.,
Assis, P.,
Aublin, J.,
Ave, M.,
Avila, G.,
Bäcker, T.,
Badagnani, D.,
Barber, K.,
Barbosa, A.,
Barroso, S.,
Baughman, B.,
&
Bauleo, P.
(2009).
Limit on the diffuse flux of ultrahigh energy tau neutrinos with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory.
Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology,
79(10).
http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.79.102001
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/10043