Upper Limit on the Diffuse Flux of Ultrahigh Energy Tau Neutrinos from the Pierre Auger Observatory
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 January 2004 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.
- Publication:
-
Physical Review Letters
- Pub Date:
- May 2008
- DOI:
- 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.211101
- arXiv:
- arXiv:0712.1909
- Bibcode:
- 2008PhRvL.100u1101A
- Keywords:
-
- 95.85.Ry;
- 95.55.Vj;
- 98.70.Sa;
- Neutrino muon pion and other elementary particles;
- cosmic rays;
- Neutrino muon pion and other elementary particle detectors;
- cosmic ray detectors;
- Cosmic rays;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- 14 pages, 3 figures