Extremely High Energy Neutrinos and their Detection

We discuss in some detail the production of extremely high energy (EHE) neutrinos with energies above 10^18 eV. The most certain process for producing such neutrinos results from photopion production by EHE cosmic rays in the cosmic background photon field. However, using assumptions for the EHE cosmic ray source evolution which are consistent with results from the deep QSO survey in the radio and X-ray range, the resultant flux of neutrinos from this process is not strong enough for plausible detection. A measurable flux of EHE neutrinos may be present, however, if the highest energy cosmic rays which have recently been detected well beyond 10^20 eV are the result of the annihilation of topological defects which formed in the early universe. Neutrinos resulting from such decays reach energies of the grand unification (GUT) scale, and collisions of superhigh energy neutrinos with the cosmic background neutrinos initiate neutrino cascading which enhances the EHE neutrino flux at Earth. We have calculated the neutrino flux including this cascading effect for either massless or massive neutrinos and we find that these fluxes are conceivably detectable by air fluorescence detectors now in development. The neutrino-induced showers would be recognized by their starting deep in the atmosphere. We evaluate the feasibility of detecting EHE neutrinos this way using air fluorescence air shower detectors and derive the expected event rate. Other processes for producing deeply penetrating air showers constitute a negligible background.Comment: 33 pages, including 12 eps figures, LaTe

A Comparison of Cosmic Ray Composition Measurements at the Highest Energies

In recent years the Fly's Eye and Akeno groups have presented analyses of the cosmic ray mass composition at energies above 10^17 eV. While the analysis of the Fly's Eye group points to a likely change in mass composition from heavy to light at energies above 10^18 eV, the Akeno analysis favours an unchanging composition. However, the two groups base their conclusions on simulations using quite different hadronic models. Here we present a comparison of the experiments using the same hadronic model and find that the agreement between the experiments is much improved. Under this model, both experiments measure a composition rich in iron around 10^17 eV which becomes lighter at higher energies. However, the agreement is not complete, which indicates scope for improvement of the interaction model, or perhaps the need for a re-examination of the experimental results.Comment: 15 pages, uses epsfig.sty with 6 figures. Submitted to Astroparticle Physics, 25th January 1998. This is a revised version (21st May 1998) which addresses some referee comments, and which clarifies discussions of our result

Comparison of AGASA data with CORSIKA simulation

An interpretation of AGASA (Akeno Giant Air Shower Array) data by comparing the experimental results with the simulated ones by CORSIKA (COsmic Ray SImulation for KASCADE) has been made. General features of the electromagnetic component and low energy muons observed by AGASA can be well reproduced by CORSIKA. The form of the lateral distribution of charged particles agrees well with the experimental one between a few hundred metres and 2000 m from the core, irrespective of the hadronic interaction model studied and the primary composition (proton or iron). It does not depend on the primary energy between 10^17.5 and 10^20 eV as the experiment shows. If we evaluate the particle density measured by scintillators of 5 cm thickness at 600 m from the core (S_0(600), suffix 0 denotes the vertically incident shower) by taking into account the similar conditions as in the experiment, the conversion relation from S_0(600) to the primary energy is expressed as E [eV] = 2.15 x 10^17 x S_0(600)^1.015, within 10% uncertainty among the models and composition used, which suggests the present AGASA conversion factor is the lower limit. Though the form of the muon lateral distribution fits well to the experiment within 1000 m from the core, the absolute values change with hadronic interaction model and primary composition. The slope of the rho_mu(600) (muon density above 1 GeV at 600 m from the core) vs. S_0(600) relation in experiment is flatter than that in simulation of any hadronic model and primary composition. Since the experimental slope is constant from 10^15 eV to 10^19 eV, we need to study this relation in a wide primary energy range to infer the rate of change of chemical composition with energy. keywords: cosmic ray, extensive air shower, simulation, primary energy estimation PACS number ; 96.40.De, 96.40.PqComment: 30 pages, 15 figures, accepted by Astroparticle Physics at 6. Dec 199

Inhibition of TRPA1 channel activity in sensory neurons by the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor family member, artemin

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The transient receptor potential (TRP) channel subtype A1 (TRPA1) is known to be expressed on sensory neurons and respond to changes in temperature, pH and local application of certain noxious chemicals such as allyl isothiocyanate (AITC). Artemin is a neuronal survival and differentiation factor and belongs to the glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) family. Both TRPA1 and artemin have been reported to be involved in pathological pain initiation and maintenance. In the present study, using whole-cell patch clamp recording technique, <it>in situ </it>hybridization and behavioral analyses, we examined the functional interaction between TRPA1 and artemin.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>We found that 85.8 ± 1.9% of TRPA1-expressing neurons also expressed GDNF family receptor alpha 3 (GFR α3), and 87.5 ± 4.1% of GFRα3-expressing neurons were TRPA1-positive. In whole-cell patch clamp analysis, a short-term treatment of 100 ng/ml artemin significantly suppressed the AITC-induced TRPA1 currents. A concentration-response curve of AITC resulting from the effect of artemin showed that this inhibition did not change EC₅₀but did lower the AITC-induced maximum response. In addition, pre-treatment of artemin significantly suppressed the number of paw lifts induced by intraplantar injection of AITC, as well as the formalin-induced pain behaviors.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These findings that a short-term application of artemin inhibits the TRPA1 channel's activity and the sequential pain behaviors suggest a role of artemin in regulation of sensory neurons.</p

Stripe-Like Inhomogeneities, Spectroscopies, Pairing, and Coherence in the High-Tc Cuprates

It is found that the carriers of the high-T_c cuprates are polaron-like "stripons" carrying charge and located in stripe-like inhomogeneities, "quasi-electrons" carrying charge and spin, and "svivons" carrying spin and lattice distortion. This is shown to result in the observed anomalous spectroscopic properties of the cuprates. The AF/stripe-like inhomogeneities result from the Bose condensation of the svivon field, and the speed of their dynamics is determined by the width of the double-svivon neutron-resonance peak. Pairing results from transitions between pair states of stripons and quasi-electrons through the exchange of svivons. The obtained pairing symmetry is of the d_{x^2-y^2} type; however, sign reversal through the charged stripes results in features not characteristic of this symmetry. The phase diagram is determined by a pairing and a coherence line, associated with a Mott transition, and the pseudogap state corresponds to incoherent pairing.Comment: 13 pages, 8 figures; version including recent references, to be published in J. Phys. Chem. Solid

Astrophysical sources of high energy neutrinos

Several high energy, >100 GeV, neutrino telescopes are currently operating or under construction. Their main motivation is the extension of the horizon of neutrino astronomy to cosmological scales. We show that general, model independent, arguments imply that ~1 Gton detectors are required to detect cosmic high energy neutrino sources. Predictions of models of some of the leading candidate sources, gamma-ray bursts and micro-quasars, are discussed, and the question of what can be learned from neutrino observations is addressed.Comment: Invited talk, Neutrino 2002 (Munich

Aqua­[2-(2-pyrid­yl)-1,8-naphthyridine-κ2 N 1,N 2](2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine-κ3 N,N′,N′′)ruthenium(II) bis­(hexa­fluorido­phosphate) acetone sesquisolvate

The asymmetric unit of the title compound, [Ru(C13H9N3)(C15H11N3)(H2O)](PF6)2·1.5C3H6O, consists of two crystallographically independent RuII complexes. Each complex is approximately octa­hedral with the RuII atom bound by an N,N′-coordinated 2-(2-pyrid­yl)-1,8-naphthyridine (pynp) ligand, a meridional 2,2′:6′,2′′-terpyridine (tpy) ligand and one aqua ligand. The tpy ligand is coordinated in a planar tridentate fashion with the central N atom closest to the RuII atom. The aqua ligand is trans to the pyridine N atom of pynp. The long Ru—O distances [2.150 (5) and 2.138 (5) Å] are typical for aqua ligands in polypyridyl ruthenium complexes. In the crystal, both intra­molecular O—H⋯N and inter­molecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds are observed

Extension of the Cosmic-Ray Energy Spectrum Beyond the Predicted Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuz'min Cutoff

The cosmic-ray energy spectrum above 10^{18.5} eV is reported using the updated data set of the Akeno Giant Air Shower Array (AGASA) from February 1990 to October 1997. The energy spectrum extends beyond 10^{20} eV and the energy gap between the highest energy event and the others is being filled up with recently observed events. The spectral shape suggests the absence of the 2.7 K cutoff in the energy spectrum or a possible presence of a new component beyond the 2.7 K cutoff.Comment: to be published in PRL, 3 figures, REVTEX forma

Atomic Dark Matter

We propose that dark matter is dominantly comprised of atomic bound states. We build a simple model and map the parameter space that results in the early universe formation of hydrogen-like dark atoms. We find that atomic dark matter has interesting implications for cosmology as well as direct detection: Protohalo formation can be suppressed below $M_{proto} \sim 10^3 - 10^6 M_{\odot}$ for weak scale dark matter due to Ion-Radiation interactions in the dark sector. Moreover, weak-scale dark atoms can accommodate hyperfine splittings of order 100 \kev, consistent with the inelastic dark matter interpretation of the DAMA data while naturally evading direct detection bounds.Comment: 17 pages, 3 figure

The Extremely High Energy Cosmic Rays

Experimental results from Haverah Park, Yakutsk, AGASA and Fly's Eye are reviewed. All these experiments work in the energy range above 0.1 EeV. The 'dip' structure around 3 EeV in the energy spectrum is well established by all the experiments, though the exact position differs slightly. Fly's Eye and Yakutsk results on the chemical composition indicate that the cosmic rays are getting lighter over the energy range from 0.1 EeV to 10 EeV, but the exact fraction is hadronic interaction model dependent, as indicated by the AGASA analysis. The arrival directions of cosmic rays are largely isotropic, but interesting features may be starting to emerge. Most of the experimental results can best be explained with the scenario that an extragalactic component gradually takes over a galactic population as energy increases and cosmic rays at the highest energies are dominated by particles coming from extragalactic space. However, identification of the extragalactic sources has not yet been successful because of limited statistics and the resolution of the data.Comment: The review paper including 21 figures. 39 pages: To be published in Journal of Physics