859 research outputs found
RICE Limits on the Diffuse Ultra-High Energy Neutrino Flux
We present new limits on ultra-high energy neutrino fluxes above 100 PeV
based on data collected by the Radio Ice Cherenkov Experiment (RICE) at the
South Pole from 1999-2005. We discuss estimation of backgrounds, calibration
and data analysis algorithms (both on-line and off-line), procedures used for
the dedicated neutrino search, and refinements in our Monte Carlo (MC)
simulation, including recent in situ measurements of the complex ice dielectric
constant. An enlarged data set and a more detailed study of hadronic showers
results in a sensitivity improvement of more than one order of magnitude
compared to our previously published results. Examination of the full RICE data
set yields zero acceptable neutrino candidates, resulting in 95%
confidence-level model dependent limits on the flux
(E_\nu)^2(d\phi/dE_\nu)<10^{-6} GeV/(cm^2s~sr}) in the energy range 10^{17}<
E_\nu< 10^{20} eV. The new RICE results rule out the most intense flux model
projections at 95% confidence level.Comment: Submitted to Astropart. Phy
Nucleon Spin Fluctuations and the Supernova Emission of Neutrinos and Axions
In the hot and dense medium of a supernova (SN) core, the nucleon spins
fluctuate so fast that the axial-vector neutrino opacity and the axion
emissivity are expected to be significantly modified. Axions with
m_a\alt10^{-2}\,{\rm eV} are not excluded by SN~1987A. A substantial transfer
of energy in neutrino-nucleon () collisions is enabled which may alter
the spectra of SN neutrinos relative to calculations where energy-conserving
collisions had been assumed near the neutrinosphere.Comment: 8 pages. REVTeX. 2 postscript figures, can be included with epsf.
Small modifications of the text, a new "Note Added", and three new
references. To be published in Phys. Rev. Let
Ultra-Relativistic Magnetic Monopole Search with the ANITA-II Balloon-borne Radio Interferometer
We have conducted a search for extended energy deposition trails left by
ultra-relativistic magnetic monopoles interacting in Antarctic ice. The
non-observation of any satisfactory candidates in the 31 days of accumulated
ANITA-II flight data results in an upper limit on the diffuse flux of
relativistic monopoles. We obtain a 90% C.L. limit of order
10^{-19}/(cm^2-s-sr) for values of Lorentz boost factor 10^{10}<gamma at the
anticipated energy E=10^{16} GeV. This bound is stronger than all previously
published experimental limits for this kinematic range.Comment: updated to version accepted by Phys. Rev.
Status of ANITA and ANITA-lite
We describe a new experiment to search for neutrinos with energies above 3 x
10^18 eV based on the observation of short duration radio pulses that are
emitted from neutrino-initiated cascades. The primary objective of the
ANtarctic Impulse Transient Antenna (ANITA) mission is to measure the flux of
Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) neutrinos and search for neutrinos from Active
Galactic Nuclei (AGN). We present first results obtained from the successful
launch of a 2-antenna prototype instrument (called ANITA-lite) that circled
Antarctica for 18 days during the 03/04 Antarctic campaign and show preliminary
results from attenuation length studies of electromagnetic waves at radio
frequencies in Antarctic ice. The ANITA detector is funded by NASA, and the
first flight is scheduled for December 2006.Comment: 9 pages, 8 figures, to be published in Proceedings of International
School of Cosmic Ray Astrophysics, 14th Course: "Neutrinos and Explosive
Events in the Universe", Erice, Italy, 2-13 July 200
Radio-Frequency Measurements of Coherent Transition and Cherenkov Radiation: Implications for High-Energy Neutrino Detection
We report on measurements of 11-18 cm wavelength radio emission from
interactions of 15.2 MeV pulsed electron bunches at the Argonne Wakefield
Accelerator. The electrons were observed both in a configuration where they
produced primarily transition radiation from an aluminum foil, and in a
configuration designed for the electrons to produce Cherenkov radiation in a
silica sand target. Our aim was to emulate the large electron excess expected
to develop during an electromagnetic cascade initiated by an ultra high-energy
particle. Such charge asymmetries are predicted to produce strong coherent
radio pulses, which are the basis for several experiments to detect high-energy
neutrinos from the showers they induce in Antarctic ice and in the lunar
regolith. We detected coherent emission which we attribute both to transition
and possibly Cherenkov radiation at different levels depending on the
experimental conditions. We discuss implications for experiments relying on
radio emission for detection of electromagnetic cascades produced by ultra
high-energy neutrinos.Comment: updated figure 10; fixed typo in equation 2.2; accepted by PR
Observational Constraints on the Ultra-high Energy Cosmic Neutrino Flux from the Second Flight of the ANITA Experiment
The Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) completed its second
long-duration balloon flight in January 2009, with 31 days aloft (28.5 live
days) over Antarctica. ANITA searches for impulsive coherent radio Cherenkov
emission from 200 to 1200 MHz, arising from the Askaryan charge excess in
ultra-high energy neutrino-induced cascades within Antarctic ice. This flight
included significant improvements over the first flight in the payload
sensitivity, efficiency, and a flight trajectory over deeper ice. Analysis of
in-flight calibration pulses from surface and sub-surface locations verifies
the expected sensitivity. In a blind analysis, we find 2 surviving events on a
background, mostly anthropogenic, of 0.97+-0.42 events. We set the strongest
limit to date for 1-1000 EeV cosmic neutrinos, excluding several current
cosmogenic neutrino models.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, submitted to Phys. Rev.
Accelerator measurements of magnetically-induced radio emission from particle cascades with applications to cosmic-ray air showers
For fifty years, cosmic-ray air showers have been detected by their radio
emission. We present the first laboratory measurements that validate
electrodynamics simulations used in air shower modeling. An experiment at SLAC
provides a beam test of radio-frequency (RF) radiation from charged particle
cascades in the presence of a magnetic field, a model system of a cosmic-ray
air shower. This experiment provides a suite of controlled laboratory
measurements to compare to particle-level simulations of RF emission, which are
relied upon in ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray air shower detection. We compare
simulations to data for intensity, linearity with magnetic field, angular
distribution, polarization, and spectral content. In particular, we confirm
modern predictions that the magnetically induced emission in a dielectric forms
a cone that peaks at the Cherenkov angle and show that the simulations
reproduce the data within systematic uncertainties.Comment: 5 pages, 7 figure
Observation of Ultra-high-energy Cosmic Rays with the ANITA Balloon-borne Radio Interferometer
We report the observation of sixteen cosmic ray events of mean energy of 1.5
x 10^{19} eV, via radio pulses originating from the interaction of the cosmic
ray air shower with the Antarctic geomagnetic field, a process known as
geosynchrotron emission. We present the first ultra-wideband, far-field
measurements of the radio spectral density of geosynchrotron emission in the
range from 300-1000 MHz. The emission is 100% linearly polarized in the plane
perpendicular to the projected geomagnetic field. Fourteen of our observed
events are seen to have a phase-inversion due to reflection of the radio beam
off the ice surface, and two additional events are seen directly from above the
horizon.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figures, new figure adde
High energy photon-neutrino elastic scattering
The one-loop helicity amplitudes for the elastic scattering process
in the Standard Model are computed at high center of
mass energies. A general decomposition of the amplitudes is utilized to
investigate the validity of some of the key features of our results. In the
center of mass, where , the cross section grows roughly as
to near the threshold for -boson production, .
Although suppressed at low energies, we find that the elastic cross section
exceeds the cross section for when
GeV. We demonstrate that the scattered photons are circularly polarized and the
net value of the polarization is non-zero. Astrophysical implications of high
energy photon-neutrino scattering are discussed.Comment: 9 pages, 7 figures, RevTeX
Propagation of Muons and Taus at High Energies
The photonuclear contribution to charged lepton energy loss has been
re-evaluated taking into account HERA results on real and virtual photon
interactions with nucleons. With large processes incorporated, the
average muon range in rock for muon energies of GeV is reduced by only
5% as compared with the standard treatment. We have calculated the tau energy
loss for energies up to GeV taking into consideration the decay of the
tau. A Monte Carlo evaluation of tau survival probability and range show that
at energies below GeV, depending on the material, only tau decays
are important. At higher energies the tau energy losses are significant,
reducing the survival probability of the tau. We show that the average range
for tau is shorter than its decay length and reduce to 17 km in water for an
incident tau energy of GeV, as compared with its decay length of 49 km
at that energy. In iron, the average tau range is 4.7 km for the same incident
energy.Comment: 25 pages including 8 figure
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