17 research outputs found
Observations of the Askaryan Effect in Ice
We report on the first observations of the Askaryan effect in ice: coherent impulsive radio Cherenkov radiation from the charge asymmetry in an electromagnetic (EM) shower. Such radiation has been observed in silica sand and rock salt, but this is the first direct observation from an EM shower in ice. These measurements are important since the majority of experiments to date that rely on the effect for ultra-high energy neutrino detection are being performed using ice as the target medium. As part of the complete validation process for the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) experiment, we performed an experiment at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAC) in June 2006 using a 7.5 metric ton ice target, yielding results fully consistent with theoretical expectations
New Limits on the Ultra-high Energy Cosmic Neutrino Flux from the ANITA Experiment
We report initial results of the first flight of the Antarctic Impulsive
Transient Antenna (ANITA-1) 2006-2007 Long Duration Balloon flight, which
searched for evidence of a diffuse flux of cosmic neutrinos above energies of 3
EeV. ANITA-1 flew for 35 days looking for radio impulses due to the Askaryan
effect in neutrino-induced electromagnetic showers within the Antarctic ice
sheets. We report here on our initial analysis, which was performed as a blind
search of the data. No neutrino candidates are seen, with no detected physics
background. We set model-independent limits based on this result. Upper limits
derived from our analysis rule out the highest cosmogenic neutrino models. In a
background horizontal-polarization channel, we also detect six events
consistent with radio impulses from ultra-high energy extensive air showers.Comment: 4 pages, 2 table
Observation of Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic Rays with the ANITA Balloon-Borne Radio Interferometer
We report the observation of 16 cosmic ray events with a 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 measurements in the 300-900 MHz range, which are the first self-triggered, first ultrawide band, first far-field, and the highest energy sample of cosmic ray events collected with the radio technique. Their properties are inconsistent with current ground-based geosynchrotron models. The emission is 100% polarized in the plane perpendicular to the projected geomagnetic field. Fourteen 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. Based on a likelihood analysis, we estimate angular pointing precision of order 2 degrees for the event arrival directions
Characteristics of Four Upward-Pointing Cosmic-Ray-like Events Observed with ANITA
We report on four radio-detected cosmic-ray (CR) or CR-like events observed with the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA), a NASA-sponsored long-duration balloon payload. Two of the four were previously identified as stratospheric CR air showers during the ANITA-I flight. A third stratospheric CR was detected during the ANITA-II flight. Here, we report on characteristics of these three unusual CR events, which develop nearly horizontally, 20-30 km above the surface of Earth. In addition, we report on a fourth steeply upward-pointing ANITA-I CR-like radio event which has characteristics consistent with a primary that emerged from the surface of the ice. This suggests a possible τ-lepton decay as the origin of this event, but such an interpretation would require significant suppression of the standard model τ-neutrino cross section
A search for ultrahigh-energy neutrinos associated with astrophysical sources using the third flight of ANITA
The ANtarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) long-duration balloon experiment is sensitive to interactions of ultrahigh-energy (E>1018 eV) neutrinos in the Antarctic ice sheet. The third flight of ANITA, lasting 22 days, began in December 2014. We develop a methodology to search for energetic neutrinos spatially and temporally coincident with potential source classes in ANITA data. This methodology is applied to several source classes: the potential IceCube-identified neutrino sources TXS 0506+056 and NGC 1068, flaring high-energy blazars reported by the Fermi All-Sky Variability Analysis, gamma-ray bursts, and supernovae. Among searches within the five source classes, one candidate was identified as associated with SN 2015D, although not at a statistically significant level. We proceed to place upper limits on the source classes. We further comment on potential application of this methodology to more sensitive future instruments
An analysis of a tau-neutrino hypothesis for the near-horizon cosmic-ray-like events observed by ANITA-IV
We present the results of a simulation of the acceptance of the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) to possible υτ point source fluxes detected via τ-lepton-induced air showers. This investigation is framed around the detection of four upward-going extensive air shower events observed very close to the horizon in ANITA-IV. These four events as well as the overall diffuse and point source exposure to Earth-skimming υτ are also compared against published ultrahigh-energy neutrino limits from the Pierre Auger Observatory. We find that while these four events were detected at sky coordinates close to ANITA’s maximum υτ sensitivity and were not simultaneously visible by Auger, the implied fluence necessary for ANITA to observe these events is in tension with limits set by Auger across a wide range of energies and is additionally in tension with ANITA’s Askaryan in-ice neutrino channel above 1019 eV
Analysis of a tau neutrino origin for the near-horizon air shower events observed by the fourth flight of the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna
We study in detail the sensitivity of the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) to possible Formula Presented point source fluxes detected via Formula Presented-lepton-induced air showers. This investigation is framed around the observation of four upward-going extensive air shower events very close to the horizon seen in ANITA-IV. We find that these four upgoing events are not observationally inconsistent with Formula Presented-induced EASs from Earth-skimming Formula Presented both in their spectral properties as well as in their observed locations on the sky. These four events as well as the overall diffuse and point source exposure to Earth-skimming Formula Presented are also compared against published ultrahigh-energy neutrino limits from the Pierre Auger Observatory. While none of these four events occurred at sky locations simultaneously visible by Auger, the implied fluence necessary for ANITA to observe these events is in strong tension with limits set by Auger across a wide range of energies and is additionally in tension with ANITA’s Askaryan in-ice neutrino channel above Formula Presented. We conclude by discussing some of the technical challenges with simulating and analyzing these near horizon events and the potential for future observatories to observe similar events
Upward-pointing cosmic-ray-like events observed with ANITA
These proceedings address a recent publication by the ANITA collaboration of four upward-pointing cosmic-ray-like events observed in the first flight of ANITA. Three of these events were consistent with stratospheric cosmic-ray air showers where the axis of propagation does not intersect the surface of the Earth. The fourth event was consistent with a primary particle that emerges from the surface of the ice suggesting a possible τ-lepton decay as the origin of this event. These proceedings follow-up on the modeling and testing of the hypothesis that this event was of τ neutrino origin
Erratum: Observational Constraints on the Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Neutrino Flux from the Second Flight of the ANITA Experiment
This is an erratum to the original paper published in Physical Review D , 82 (2), article no. 022004, on 16 July 2010 (DOI: 10.1103/PhysRevD.82.022004)
Dynamic tunable notch filters for the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA)
The Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) is a NASA longduration
balloon experiment with the primary goal of detecting ultra-highenergy
(> 1018 eV) neutrinos via the Askaryan Effect. The fourth ANITA
mission, ANITA-IV, recently flew from Dec 2 to Dec 29, 2016. For the first
time, the Tunable Universal Filter Frontend (TUFF) boards were deployed
for mitigation of narrow-band, anthropogenic noise with tunable, switchable
notch filters. The TUFF boards also performed second-stage amplification by
approximately 45 dB to boost the ∼ µV-level radio frequency (RF) signals to
∼ mV-level for digitization, and supplied power via bias tees to the first-stage,
antenna-mounted amplifiers. The other major change in signal processing
in ANITA-IV is the resurrection of the 90◦ hybrids deployed previously in
ANITA-I, in the trigger system, although in this paper we focus on the TUFF
boards. During the ANITA-IV mission, the TUFF boards were successfully
operated throughout the flight. They contributed to a factor of 2.8 higher
total instrument livetime on average in ANITA-IV compared to ANITAIII
due to reduction of narrow-band, anthropogenic noise before a trigger
decision is made