Upper Limit on the Diffuse Flux of Ultrahigh Energy Tau Neutrinos from the Pierre Auger Observatory

Authors

J. Abraham, Universidad Tecnologica Nacional
P. Abreu, Instituto Superior Técnico
M. Aglietta, Università degli Studi di Torino
C. Aguirre, Universidad Catolica de Bolivia
D. Allard, APC - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
I. Allekotte, Centro Atomico Bariloche
J. Allen, New York University
P. Allison, The Ohio State University
J. Alvarez-Muñiz, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela
M. Ambrosio, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Napoli
L. Anchordoqui, Northeastern University
S. Andringa, Instituto Superior Técnico
A. Anzalone, INAF Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Palermo
C. Aramo, Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Napoli
S. Argirò, Università degli Studi di Torino
K. Arisaka, University of California, Los Angeles
E. Armengaud, APC - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
F. Arneodo, Laboratori Nazionali del Gran Sasso
F. Arqueros, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
T. Asch, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Campus North
H. Asorey, Centro Atomico Bariloche
P. Assis, Instituto Superior Técnico
B. S. Atulugama, Pennsylvania State University
J. Aublin, Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Energies
M. Ave, The Enrico Fermi Institute
G. Avila, Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica Argentina
T. Bäcker, Universität Siegen
D. Badagnani, Universidad Nacional de La Plata
A. F. Barbosa, Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas
D. Barnhill, University of California, Los Angeles
S. L.C. Barroso, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia
P. Bauleo, Colorado State University

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

5-27-2008

Abstract

The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory is sensitive to Earth-skimming tau neutrinos that interact in Earth's crust. Tau leptons from ντ charged-current interactions can emerge and decay in the atmosphere to produce a nearly horizontal shower with a significant electromagnetic component. The data collected between 1 January2004 and 31 August 2007 are used to place an upper limit on the diffuse flux of ντ at EeV energies. Assuming an Eν-2 differential energy spectrum the limit set at 90% C.L. is Eν2dNντ/dEν < 1.3×10-7GeVcm-2s-1sr-1 in the energy range 2×1017eV < Eν < 2×1019eV. © 2008 The American Physical Society.

Publication Title

Physical Review Letters

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