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

Journal Article · Fri May 30 00:00:00 EDT 2008 · Physical Review Letters

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVLETT.100.211101· OSTI ID:21132461

Abraham, J; Garcia, B; Otero, L ^[1]; Abreu, P; Andringa, S; Assis, P; Brogueira, P; Conceicao, R; Goncalves, P; Pimenta, M; Santo, C E; Tome, B ^[2]; Aglietta, M; Bonino, R; Castellina, A; Chiavassa, A; Fulgione, W; Gorgi, A; Hauschildt, T; Maldera, S ^[3]

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1. Universidad Tecnologica Nacional, FR-Mendoza (Argentina)
2. LIP and Instituto Superior Tecnico, Lisboa (Portugal)
3. Istituto di Fisica dello Spazio Interplanetario (INAF), Universita di Torino and Sezione INFN, Torino (Italy)

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 {nu}{sub {tau}} 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 {nu}{sub {tau}} at EeV energies. Assuming an E{sub {nu}}{sup -2} differential energy spectrum the limit set at 90% C.L. is E{sub {nu}}{sup 2}dN{sub {nu}{sub {tau}}}/dE{sub {nu}}<1.3x10{sup -7} GeV cm{sup -2} s{sup -1} sr{sup -1} in the energy range 2x10{sup 17} eV<E{sub {nu}}<2x10{sup 19} eV.

• OSTI ID: 21132461
• Journal Information: Physical Review Letters, Vol. 100, Issue 21; Other Information: DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevLett.100.211101; (c) 2008 The American Physical Society; Country of input: International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA). Pierre Auger Collaboration; ISSN 0031-9007
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS
CASCADE SHOWERS
CHARGED-CURRENT INTERACTIONS
EARTH ATMOSPHERE
EARTH CRUST
EEV RANGE
ENERGY SPECTRA
TAU NEUTRINOS
TAU PARTICLES