High energy neutrinos from astrophysical accelerators of cosmic ray nuclei
Abstract
Ongoing experimental efforts to detect cosmic sources of high energy neutrinos are guided by the expectation that astrophysical accelerators of cosmic ray protons would also generate neutrinos through interactions with ambient matter and/or photons. However, there will be a reduction in the predicted neutrino flux if cosmic ray sources accelerate not only protons but also significant numbers of heavier nuclei, as is indicated by recent air shower data. We consider plausible extragalactic sources such as active galactic nuclei, gamma ray bursts and starburst galaxies and demand consistency with the observed cosmic ray composition and energy spectrum at Earth after allowing for propagation through intergalactic radiation fields. This allows us to calculate the expected neutrino fluxes from the sources, normalized to the observed cosmic ray spectrum. 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However, even allowing for the systematic uncertainties still present, it does appear that at the highest energies fewer events are seen than expected from the AGASA analysis.V.S.BerezinskyG.T.ZatsepinPhys. Lett. B281969423F.W.SteckerAstrophys. J.2281979919R.EngelD.SeckelT.StanevPhys. Rev. D642001093010Z.FodorS.D.KatzA.RingwaldH.TuJCAP03112003015D.De MarcoT.StanevF.W.SteckerPhys. Rev. D732006043003D.HooperA.TaylorS.SarkarAstropart. Phys.23200511M.AveN.BuscaA.V.OlintoA.A.WatsonT.YamamotoAstropart. Phys.23200519A point worth noting at this juncture: If iron nuclei are accelerated to very high energies (much higher than the energy spectrum has been measured), then disintegration can lead to large numbers of protons above the spectrum cutoff. In this case, the resulting cosmogenic neutrino flux is not dramatically suppressed. 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- Publication:
-
Astroparticle Physics
- Pub Date:
- February 2008
- DOI:
- 10.1016/j.astropartphys.2007.10.006
- arXiv:
- arXiv:astro-ph/0703001
- Bibcode:
- 2008APh....29....1A
- Keywords:
-
- 95.85.Ry;
- 98.70.Rz;
- 98.54.Cm;
- 98.54.Ep;
- Neutrino muon pion and other elementary particles;
- cosmic rays;
- gamma-ray sources;
- gamma-ray bursts;
- Active and peculiar galaxies and related systems;
- Starburst galaxies and infrared excess galaxies;
- Astrophysics
- E-Print:
- To be published in Astroparticle Physics