Search for ultrahigh energy neutrinos in highly inclined events at the Pierre Auger Observatory
Document Type
Article
Publication Date
12-30-2011
Abstract
The Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory is sensitive to neutrinos of all flavors above 0.1 EeV. These interact through charged and neutral currents in the atmosphere giving rise to extensive air showers. When interacting deeply in the atmosphere at nearly horizontal incidence, neutrinos can be distinguished from regular hadronic cosmic rays by the broad time structure of their shower signals in the water-Cherenkov detectors. In this paper we present for the first time an analysis based on down-going neutrinos. We describe the search procedure, the possible sources of background, the method to compute the exposure and the associated systematic uncertainties. No candidate neutrinos have been found in data collected from 1 January 2004 to 31 May 2010. Assuming an E-2 differential energy spectrum the limit on the single-flavor neutrino is E2dN/dE < 1.74×10-7GeVcm -2s-1sr-1 at 90% C.L. in the energy range 1×1017eV < E < 1×1020eV. © 2011 American Physical Society.
Publication Title
Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology
Recommended Citation
Abreu, P.,
Aglietta, M.,
Ahn, E.,
Albuquerque, I.,
Allard, D.,
Allekotte, I.,
Allen, J.,
Allison, P.,
Alvarez Castillo, J.,
Alvarez-Muñiz, J.,
Ambrosio, M.,
Aminaei, A.,
Anchordoqui, L.,
Andringa, S.,
Antičić, T.,
Anzalone, A.,
Aramo, C.,
Arganda, E.,
Arqueros, F.,
Asorey, H.,
Assis, P.,
Aublin, J.,
Ave, M.,
Avenier, M.,
Avila, G.,
Bäcker, T.,
Balzer, M.,
Barber, K.,
Barbosa, A.,
Bardenet, R.,
Barroso, S.,
&
Baughman, B.
(2011).
Search for ultrahigh energy neutrinos in highly inclined events at the Pierre Auger Observatory.
Physical Review D - Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology,
84(12).
http://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.84.122005
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/10044