Search for point-like sources of ultra-high energy neutrinos at the Pierre Auger Observatory and improved limit on the diffuse flux of tau neutrinos

Authors

P. Abreu, Pierre Auger Observatory
M. Aglietta, Università degli Studi di Torino
M. Ahlers, University of Wisconsin-Madison
E. J. Ahn, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
I. F.M. Albuquerque, Universidade de Sao Paulo - USP
D. Allard, APC - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
I. Allekotte, Instituto Balseiro
J. Allen, New York University
P. Allison, The Ohio State University
A. Almela, Universidad Tecnologica Nacional
J. Alvarez Castillo, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México
J. Alvarez-Mũiz, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela
R. Alves Batista, Universidade Estadual de Campinas
M. Ambrosio, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
A. Aminaei, Radboud University Nijmegen
L. Anchordoqui, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
S. Andringa, LIP - Lisboa
T. Antii'C, Rudjer Boškovi'c Institute
C. Aramo, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
E. Arganda, Universidad Nacional de La Plata
F. Arqueros, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
H. Asorey, Instituto Balseiro
P. Assis, LIP - Lisboa
J. Aublin, Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Energies
M. Ave, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
M. Avenier, Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie de Grenoble
G. Avila, Comision Nacional de Energia Atomica Argentina
A. M. Badescu, University Politehnica of Bucharest
M. Balzer, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
K. B. Barber, The University of Adelaide
A. F. Barbosa, Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas
R. Bardenet, Laboratoire de l'Accélérateur Linéaire

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

8-10-2012

Abstract

The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory can detect neutrinos with energy E ν between 1017 eV and 10 20 eV from point-like sources across the sky south of +55° and north of -65° declinations. A search has been performed for highly inclined extensive air showers produced by the interaction of neutrinos of all flavors in the atmosphere (downward-going neutrinos), and by the decay of tau leptons originating from tau neutrino interactions in Earth's crust (Earth-skimming neutrinos). No candidate neutrinos have been found in data up to 2010 May 31. This corresponds to an equivalent exposure of ∼3.5years of a full surface detector array for the Earth-skimming channel and ∼2 years for the downward-going channel. An improved upper limit on the diffuse flux of tau neutrinos has been derived. Upper limits on the neutrino flux from point-like sources have been derived as a function of the source declination. Assuming a differential neutrino flux k PS E -2ν from a point-like source, 90% confidence level upper limits for k PS at the level of ≈5 × 10-7 and 2.5 × 10-6 GeV cm-2 s-1 have been obtained over a broad range of declinations from the searches for Earth-skimming and downward-going neutrinos, respectively. © 2012 The American Astronomical Society. All rights reserved.

Publication Title

Astrophysical Journal Letters

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