299 research outputs found
The Astrophysics of Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays
The origin of the highest energy cosmic rays is still unknown. The discovery
of their sources will reveal the workings of the most energetic astrophysical
accelerators in the universe. Current observations show a spectrum consistent
with an origin in extragalactic astrophysical sources. Candidate sources range
from the birth of compact objects to explosions related to gamma-ray bursts or
to events in active galaxies. We discuss the main effects of propagation from
cosmologically distant sources including interactions with cosmic background
radiation and magnetic fields. We examine possible acceleration mechanisms
leading to a survey of candidate sources and their signatures. New questions
arise from an observed hint of sky anisotropies and an unexpected evolution of
composition indicators. Future observations may reach the necessary sensitivity
to achieve charged particle astronomy and to observe ultrahigh energy photons
and neutrinos, which will further illuminate the workings of the universe at
these extreme energies. In addition to fostering a new understanding of
high-energy astrophysical phenomena, the study of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays
can constrain the structure of the Galactic and extragalactic magnetic fields
as well as probe particle interactions at energies orders of magnitude higher
than achieved in terrestrial accelerators.Comment: Draft of solicited review article; 44 pages and 12 figures; Final
version to appear in Annual Review of Astronomy and Astrophysics vol. 49
(2011
Flux of Atmospheric Neutrinos
Atmospheric neutrinos produced by cosmic-ray interactions in the atmosphere
are of interest for several reasons. As a beam for studies of neutrino
oscillations they cover a range of parameter space hitherto unexplored by
accelerator neutrino beams. The atmospheric neutrinos also constitute an
important background and calibration beam for neutrino astronomy and for the
search for proton decay and other rare processes. Here we review the literature
on calculations of atmospheric neutrinos over the full range of energy, but
with particular attention to the aspects important for neutrino oscillations.
Our goal is to assess how well the properties of atmospheric neutrinos are
known at present.Comment: 68 pages, 26 figures. With permission from the Annual Review of
Nuclear & Particle Science. Final version of this material is scheduled to
appear in the Annual Review of Nuclear & Particle Science Vol. 52, to be
published in December 2002 by Annual Reviews (http://annualreviews.org
Prompt atmospheric neutrino fluxes: perturbative QCD models and nuclear effects
We evaluate the prompt atmospheric neutrino flux at high energies using three
different frameworks for calculating the heavy quark production cross section
in QCD: NLO perturbative QCD, factorization including low-
resummation, and the dipole model including parton saturation. We use QCD
parameters, the value for the charm quark mass and the range for the
factorization and renormalization scales that provide the best description of
the total charm cross section measured at fixed target experiments, at RHIC and
at LHC. Using these parameters we calculate differential cross sections for
charm and bottom production and compare with the latest data on forward charm
meson production from LHCb at TeV and at TeV, finding good agreement
with the data. In addition, we investigate the role of nuclear shadowing by
including nuclear parton distribution functions (PDF) for the target air
nucleus using two different nuclear PDF schemes. Depending on the scheme used,
we find the reduction of the flux due to nuclear effects varies from to
at the highest energies. Finally, we compare our results with the
IceCube limit on the prompt neutrino flux, which is already providing valuable
information about some of the QCD models.Comment: 61 pages, 25 figures, 11 table
Hybrid simulations of extensive air showers
We present a fast one dimensional hybrid method to efficiently simulate extensive air showers up to the highest observed energies. Based on precalculated pion showers and a bootstrap technique, our method predicts the average shower profile, the number of muons at detector level above several energy thresholds as well as the fluctuations of the electromagnetic and hadronic components of the shower. We study the main characteristics of proton-induced air showers up to ultra high energy, comparing the predictions of three different hadronic interaction models: SIBYLL 1.7, SIBYLL 2.1 and QGSJET98. The influence of the hadronic interaction models on the shower evolution, in particular the elongation rate, is discussed and the applicability of analytical approximations is investigated.66
High Energy Neutrino Astronomy: Towards Kilometer-Scale Detectors
Of all high-energy particles, only neutrinos can directly convey astronomical
information from the edge of the universe---and from deep inside the most
cataclysmic high-energy processes. Copiously produced in high-energy
collisions, travelling at the velocity of light, and not deflected by magnetic
fields, neutrinos meet the basic requirements for astronomy. Their unique
advantage arises from a fundamental property: they are affected only by the
weakest of nature's forces (but for gravity) and are therefore essentially
unabsorbed as they travel cosmological distances between their origin and us.
Many of the outstanding mysteries of astrophysics may be hidden from our sight
at all wavelengths of the electromagnetic spectrum because of absorption by
matter and radiation between us and the source. For example, the hot dense
regions that form the central engines of stars and galaxies are opaque to
photons. In other cases, such as supernova remnants, gamma ray bursters, and
active galaxies, all of which may involve compact objects or black holes at
their cores, the precise origin of the high-energy photons emerging from their
surface regions is uncertain. Therefore, data obtained through a variety of
observational windows---and especially through direct observations with
neutrinos---may be of cardinal importance. In this talk, the scientific goals
of high energy neutrino astronomy and the technical aspects of water and ice
Cherenkov detectors are examined, and future experimental possibilities,
including a kilometer-square deep ice neutrino telescope, are explored.Comment: 13 pages, Latex, 6 postscript figures, uses aipproc.sty and epsf.sty.
Talk presented at the International Symposium on High Energy Gamma Ray
Astronomy, Heidelberg, June 200
Flavor conversion of cosmic neutrinos from hidden jets
High energy cosmic neutrino fluxes can be produced inside relativistic jets
under the envelopes of collapsing stars. In the energy range E ~ (0.3 - 1e5)
GeV, flavor conversion of these neutrinos is modified by various matter effects
inside the star and the Earth. We present a comprehensive (both analytic and
numerical) description of the flavor conversion of these neutrinos which
includes: (i) oscillations inside jets, (ii) flavor-to-mass state transitions
in an envelope, (iii) loss of coherence on the way to observer, and (iv)
oscillations of the mass states inside the Earth. We show that conversion has
several new features which are not realized in other objects, in particular
interference effects ("L- and H- wiggles") induced by the adiabaticity
violation. The neutrino-neutrino scattering inside jet and inelastic neutrino
interactions in the envelope may produce some additional features at E > 1e4
GeV. We study dependence of the probabilities and flavor ratios in the
matter-affected region on angles theta13 and theta23, on the CP-phase delta, as
well as on the initial flavor content and density profile of the star. We show
that measurements of the energy dependence of the flavor ratios will, in
principle, allow to determine independently the neutrino and astrophysical
parameters.Comment: 56 pages, 19 figures. Minor changes. Accepted by JHEP
High Energy Neutrinos from Quasars
We review and clarify the assumptions of our basic model for neutrino
production in the cores of quasars, as well as those modifications to the model
subsequently made by other workers. We also present a revised estimate of the
neutrino background flux and spectrum obtained using more recent empirical
studies of quasars and their evolution. We compare our results with other
thoeretical calculations and experimental upper limits on the AGN neutrino
background flux. We also estimate possible neutrino fluxes from the jets of
blazars detected recently by the EGRET experiment on the Compton Gamma Ray
Observatory. We discuss the theoretical implications of these estimates.Comment: 14 pg., ps file (includes figures), To be published in Space Science
Review
GLAST: Understanding the High Energy Gamma-Ray Sky
We discuss the ability of the GLAST Large Area Telescope (LAT) to identify,
resolve, and study the high energy gamma-ray sky. Compared to previous
instruments the telescope will have greatly improved sensitivity and ability to
localize gamma-ray point sources. The ability to resolve the location and
identity of EGRET unidentified sources is described. We summarize the current
knowledge of the high energy gamma-ray sky and discuss the astrophysics of
known and some prospective classes of gamma-ray emitters. In addition, we also
describe the potential of GLAST to resolve old puzzles and to discover new
classes of sources.Comment: To appear in Cosmic Gamma Ray Sources, Kluwer ASSL Series, Edited by
K.S. Cheng and G.E. Romer
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