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Title: Measurement of the multi-TeV neutrino interaction cross-section with IceCube using Earth absorption

Abstract

We report that neutrinos interact only very weakly, so they are extremely penetrating. The theoretical neutrino-nucleon interaction cross-section, however, increases with increasing neutrino energy, and neutrinos with energies above 40 teraelectronvolts (TeV) are expected to be absorbed as they pass through the Earth. Experimentally, the cross-section has been determined only at the relatively low energies (below 0.4 TeV) that are available at neutrino beams from accelerators. Here we report a measurement of neutrino absorption by the Earth using a sample of 10,784 energetic upward-going neutrino-induced muons. The flux of high-energy neutrinos transiting long paths through the Earth is attenuated compared to a reference sample that follows shorter trajectories. Using a fit to the two-dimensional distribution of muon energy and zenith angle, we determine the neutrino-nucleon interaction cross-section for neutrino energies 6.3-980 TeV, more than an order of magnitude higher than previous measurements. The measured cross-section is about 1.3 times the prediction of the standard model, consistent with the expectations for charged- and neutral-current interactions. We do not observe a large increase in the cross-section with neutrino energy, in contrast with the predictions of some theoretical models, including those invoking more compact spatial dimensions or the production of leptoquarks. This cross-sectionmore » measurement can be used to set limits on the existence of some hypothesized beyond-standard-model particles, including leptoquarks.« less

Authors:
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Publication Date:
Research Org.:
Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
Contributing Org.:
The IceCube Collaboration
OSTI Identifier:
1532276
Grant/Contract Number:  
AC02-05CH11231
Resource Type:
Accepted Manuscript
Journal Name:
Nature (London)
Additional Journal Information:
Journal Name: Nature (London); Journal Volume: 551; Journal Issue: 7682; Journal ID: ISSN 0028-0836
Publisher:
Nature Publishing Group
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS

Citation Formats

Aartsen, MG, Hill, GC, Kyriacou, A, Robertson, S, Wallace, A, Whelan, BJ, Ackermann, M, Bernardini, E, Blot, S, Bradascio, F, Bretz, HP, Brostean-Kaiser, J, Franckowiak, A, Jacobi, E, Karg, T, Kintscher, T, Kunwar, S, Nahnhauer, R, Satalecka, K, Spiering, C, Stachurska, J, Stasik, A, Strotjohann, NL, Terliuk, A, Usner, M, Van Santen, J, Adams, J, Bagherpour, H, Aguilar, JA, Ansseau, I, Heereman, D, Meagher, K, Meures, T, O'Murchadha, A, Pinat, E, Raab, C, Ahlers, M, Koskinen, DJ, Larson, MJ, Medici, M, Rameez, M, Ahrens, M, Bohm, C, Dumm, JP, Finley, C, Flis, S, Hultqvist, K, Walck, C, Zoll, M, Al Samarai, I, Bron, S, Carver, T, Christov, A, Montaruli, T, Altmann, D, Anton, G, Gl'senkamp, T, Katz, U, Kittler, T, Tselengidou, M, Andeen, K, Plum, M, Anderson, T, DeLaunay, JJ, Dunkman, M, Eller, P, Huang, F, Keivani, A, Lanfranchi, JL, Pankova, DV, Te'ic, G, Turley, CF, Weiss, MJ, Arg'elles, C, Axani, S, Collin, GH, Conrad, JM, Moulai, M, Auffenberg, J, Brenzke, M, Glauch, T, Haack, C, Kalaczynski, P, Koschinsky, JP, Leuermann, M, R'del, L, Reimann, R, Rongen, M, S'lzer, T, Schoenen, S, Schumacher, L, and Stettner, J. Measurement of the multi-TeV neutrino interaction cross-section with IceCube using Earth absorption. United States: N. p., 2017. Web. doi:10.1038/nature24459.
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Aartsen, MG, Hill, GC, Kyriacou, A, Robertson, S, Wallace, A, Whelan, BJ, Ackermann, M, Bernardini, E, Blot, S, Bradascio, F, Bretz, HP, Brostean-Kaiser, J, Franckowiak, A, Jacobi, E, Karg, T, Kintscher, T, Kunwar, S, Nahnhauer, R, Satalecka, K, Spiering, C, Stachurska, J, Stasik, A, Strotjohann, NL, Terliuk, A, Usner, M, Van Santen, J, Adams, J, Bagherpour, H, Aguilar, JA, Ansseau, I, Heereman, D, Meagher, K, Meures, T, O'Murchadha, A, Pinat, E, Raab, C, Ahlers, M, Koskinen, DJ, Larson, MJ, Medici, M, Rameez, M, Ahrens, M, Bohm, C, Dumm, JP, Finley, C, Flis, S, Hultqvist, K, Walck, C, Zoll, M, Al Samarai, I, Bron, S, Carver, T, Christov, A, Montaruli, T, Altmann, D, Anton, G, Gl'senkamp, T, Katz, U, Kittler, T, Tselengidou, M, Andeen, K, Plum, M, Anderson, T, DeLaunay, JJ, Dunkman, M, Eller, P, Huang, F, Keivani, A, Lanfranchi, JL, Pankova, DV, Te'ic, G, Turley, CF, Weiss, MJ, Arg'elles, C, Axani, S, Collin, GH, Conrad, JM, Moulai, M, Auffenberg, J, Brenzke, M, Glauch, T, Haack, C, Kalaczynski, P, Koschinsky, JP, Leuermann, M, R'del, L, Reimann, R, Rongen, M, S'lzer, T, Schoenen, S, Schumacher, L, & Stettner, J. Measurement of the multi-TeV neutrino interaction cross-section with IceCube using Earth absorption. United States. doi:10.1038/nature24459.
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Aartsen, MG, Hill, GC, Kyriacou, A, Robertson, S, Wallace, A, Whelan, BJ, Ackermann, M, Bernardini, E, Blot, S, Bradascio, F, Bretz, HP, Brostean-Kaiser, J, Franckowiak, A, Jacobi, E, Karg, T, Kintscher, T, Kunwar, S, Nahnhauer, R, Satalecka, K, Spiering, C, Stachurska, J, Stasik, A, Strotjohann, NL, Terliuk, A, Usner, M, Van Santen, J, Adams, J, Bagherpour, H, Aguilar, JA, Ansseau, I, Heereman, D, Meagher, K, Meures, T, O'Murchadha, A, Pinat, E, Raab, C, Ahlers, M, Koskinen, DJ, Larson, MJ, Medici, M, Rameez, M, Ahrens, M, Bohm, C, Dumm, JP, Finley, C, Flis, S, Hultqvist, K, Walck, C, Zoll, M, Al Samarai, I, Bron, S, Carver, T, Christov, A, Montaruli, T, Altmann, D, Anton, G, Gl'senkamp, T, Katz, U, Kittler, T, Tselengidou, M, Andeen, K, Plum, M, Anderson, T, DeLaunay, JJ, Dunkman, M, Eller, P, Huang, F, Keivani, A, Lanfranchi, JL, Pankova, DV, Te'ic, G, Turley, CF, Weiss, MJ, Arg'elles, C, Axani, S, Collin, GH, Conrad, JM, Moulai, M, Auffenberg, J, Brenzke, M, Glauch, T, Haack, C, Kalaczynski, P, Koschinsky, JP, Leuermann, M, R'del, L, Reimann, R, Rongen, M, S'lzer, T, Schoenen, S, Schumacher, L, and Stettner, J. Thu . "Measurement of the multi-TeV neutrino interaction cross-section with IceCube using Earth absorption". United States. doi:10.1038/nature24459. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1532276.
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@article{osti_1532276,
title = {Measurement of the multi-TeV neutrino interaction cross-section with IceCube using Earth absorption},
author = {Aartsen, MG and Hill, GC and Kyriacou, A and Robertson, S and Wallace, A and Whelan, BJ and Ackermann, M and Bernardini, E and Blot, S and Bradascio, F and Bretz, HP and Brostean-Kaiser, J and Franckowiak, A and Jacobi, E and Karg, T and Kintscher, T and Kunwar, S and Nahnhauer, R and Satalecka, K and Spiering, C and Stachurska, J and Stasik, A and Strotjohann, NL and Terliuk, A and Usner, M and Van Santen, J and Adams, J and Bagherpour, H and Aguilar, JA and Ansseau, I and Heereman, D and Meagher, K and Meures, T and O'Murchadha, A and Pinat, E and Raab, C and Ahlers, M and Koskinen, DJ and Larson, MJ and Medici, M and Rameez, M and Ahrens, M and Bohm, C and Dumm, JP and Finley, C and Flis, S and Hultqvist, K and Walck, C and Zoll, M and Al Samarai, I and Bron, S and Carver, T and Christov, A and Montaruli, T and Altmann, D and Anton, G and Gl'senkamp, T and Katz, U and Kittler, T and Tselengidou, M and Andeen, K and Plum, M and Anderson, T and DeLaunay, JJ and Dunkman, M and Eller, P and Huang, F and Keivani, A and Lanfranchi, JL and Pankova, DV and Te'ic, G and Turley, CF and Weiss, MJ and Arg'elles, C and Axani, S and Collin, GH and Conrad, JM and Moulai, M and Auffenberg, J and Brenzke, M and Glauch, T and Haack, C and Kalaczynski, P and Koschinsky, JP and Leuermann, M and R'del, L and Reimann, R and Rongen, M and S'lzer, T and Schoenen, S and Schumacher, L and Stettner, J},
abstractNote = {We report that neutrinos interact only very weakly, so they are extremely penetrating. The theoretical neutrino-nucleon interaction cross-section, however, increases with increasing neutrino energy, and neutrinos with energies above 40 teraelectronvolts (TeV) are expected to be absorbed as they pass through the Earth. Experimentally, the cross-section has been determined only at the relatively low energies (below 0.4 TeV) that are available at neutrino beams from accelerators. Here we report a measurement of neutrino absorption by the Earth using a sample of 10,784 energetic upward-going neutrino-induced muons. The flux of high-energy neutrinos transiting long paths through the Earth is attenuated compared to a reference sample that follows shorter trajectories. Using a fit to the two-dimensional distribution of muon energy and zenith angle, we determine the neutrino-nucleon interaction cross-section for neutrino energies 6.3-980 TeV, more than an order of magnitude higher than previous measurements. The measured cross-section is about 1.3 times the prediction of the standard model, consistent with the expectations for charged- and neutral-current interactions. We do not observe a large increase in the cross-section with neutrino energy, in contrast with the predictions of some theoretical models, including those invoking more compact spatial dimensions or the production of leptoquarks. This cross-section measurement can be used to set limits on the existence of some hypothesized beyond-standard-model particles, including leptoquarks.},
doi = {10.1038/nature24459},
journal = {Nature (London)},
number = 7682,
volume = 551,
place = {United States},
year = {2017},
month = {11}
}
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DOI:  10.1038/nature24459
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    Measurements using the inelasticity distribution of multi-TeV neutrino interactions in IceCube
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    Monitoring and Multi-Messenger Astronomy with IceCube
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