Cosmogenic neutrinos originate from photo-hadronic interactions of cosmic ray protons with the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The neutrino production rate can be constrained through the ...accompanying electrons, positrons and gamma-rays that quickly cascade on the CMB and intergalactic magnetic fields to lower energies and generate a
γ-ray background in the GeV–TeV region. Bethe–Heitler pair production by protons also contributes to the cascade and can tighten the neutrino constraints in models where extragalactic cosmic rays begin to dominate over the galactic component at a relatively low “crossover” energy. We investigate this issue in the light of the recent Fermi-LAT measurements of the diffuse extragalactic
γ-ray background and illustrate by a fit to the HiRes spectrum how the prediction of the cosmogenic neutrino flux in all-proton models varies with the crossover energy. The neutrino flux is required to be smaller when the gamma-ray bound is applied, nevertheless such models are still consistent with HiRes and Fermi-LAT if one properly takes into account the energy uncertainty of cosmic ray measurements. The presently allowed flux is within reach of the IceCube neutrino telescope and other dedicated radio experiments.
The standard Λ Cold Dark Matter (ΛCDM) cosmological model provides a good description of a wide range of astrophysical and cosmological data. However, there are a few big open questions that make the ...standard model look like an approximation to a more realistic scenario yet to be found. In this paper, we list a few important goals that need to be addressed in the next decade, taking into account the current discordances between the different cosmological probes, such as the disagreement in the value of the Hubble constant H0, the σ8–S8 tension, and other less statistically significant anomalies. While these discordances can still be in part the result of systematic errors, their persistence after several years of accurate analysis strongly hints at cracks in the standard cosmological scenario and the necessity for new physics or generalisations beyond the standard model. In this paper, we focus on the 5.0σ tension between the Planck CMB estimate of the Hubble constant H0 and the SH0ES collaboration measurements. After showing the H0 evaluations made from different teams using different methods and geometric calibrations, we list a few interesting new physics models that could alleviate this tension and discuss how the next decade's experiments will be crucial. Moreover, we focus on the tension of the Planck CMB data with weak lensing measurements and redshift surveys, about the value of the matter energy density Ωm, and the amplitude or rate of the growth of structure (σ8,fσ8). We list a few interesting models proposed for alleviating this tension, and we discuss the importance of trying to fit a full array of data with a single model and not just one parameter at a time. Additionally, we present a wide range of other less discussed anomalies at a statistical significance level lower than the H0–S8 tensions which may also constitute hints towards new physics, and we discuss possible generic theoretical approaches that can collectively explain the non-standard nature of these signals. Finally, we give an overview of upgraded experiments and next-generation space missions and facilities on Earth that will be of crucial importance to address all these open questions.
The Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics (POEMMA) is designed to accurately observe ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) and cosmic neutrinos from space with sensitivity over the full ...celestial sky. POEMMA will observe the air fluorescence produced by extensive air showers (EASs) from UHECRs and potentially UHE neutrinos above 20 EeV. Additionally, POEMMA has the ability to observe the Cherenkov signal from upward-moving EASs induced by Earth-interacting tau neutrinos above 20 PeV. The POEMMA spacecraft are designed to quickly re-orientate to follow up transient neutrino sources and obtain currently unparalleled neutrino flux sensitivity. Developed as a NASA Astrophysics Probe-class mission, POEMMA consists of two identical satellites flying in loose formation in 525 km altitude orbits. Each POEMMA instrument incorporates a wide field-of-view (45°) Schmidt telescope with an optical collecting area of over 6 sq. m. The hybrid focal surface of each telescope includes a fast (1 μs) near-ultraviolet camera for EAS fluorescence observations and an ultrafast (10 ns) optical camera for Cherenkov EAS observations. In a 5-year mission, POEMMA will provide measurements that open new multi-messenger windows onto the most energetic events in the universe, enabling the study of new astrophysics and particle physics at these extreme energies.
There may be a high-energy cutoff of neutrino events in IceCube data. In particular, IceCube does not observe either continuum events above 2 PeV, or the Standard Model Glashow-resonance events ...expected at 6.3 PeV. There are also no higher energy neutrino signatures in the ANITA and Auger experiments. This absence of high-energy neutrino events motivates a fundamental restriction on neutrino energies above a few PeV. We postulate a simple scenario to terminate the neutrino spectrum that is Lorentz-invariance violating, but with a limiting neutrino velocity that is always smaller than the speed of light. If the limiting velocity of the neutrino applies also to its associated charged lepton, then a significant consequence is that the two-body decay modes of the charged pion are forbidden above two times the maximum neutrino energy, while the radiative decay modes are suppressed at higher energies. Such stabilized pions may serve as cosmic ray primaries.
Black hole production in elementary particle collisions is among the most promising probes of large extra spacetime dimensions. Studies of black holes at particle colliders have assumed that all of ...the incoming energy is captured in the resulting black hole. We incorporate the inelasticity inherent in such processes and determine the prospects for discovering black holes in colliders and cosmic ray experiments, employing a dynamical model of Hawking evolution. At the Large Hadron Collider, inelasticity reduces rates by factors of 103 to 106 in the accessible parameter space, moderating, but not eliminating, hopes for black hole discovery. At the Pierre Auger Observatory, rates are suppressed by a factor of 10. We evaluate the impact of cosmic ray observations on collider prospects.
A leading candidate for the extragalactic source of high energy cosmic rays is the Fermi engine mechanism, in which protons confined by magnetic fields are accelerated to very high energy through ...repeated scattering by plasma shock fronts. In the process of acceleration, collisions of trapped protons with the ambient plasma produce pions which decay to electromagnetic energy and neutrinos. For optically thin sources, a strong connection between the emerging cosmic rays and secondary neutrinos can be established. In this context, we show the feasibility of using the Glashow resonance as a discriminator between the pp and pγ interactions in Fermi engines as sources of neutrinos. In particular, we demonstrate how three years of observation at the km3 IceCube facility can serve as a filter for the dominance of the pp interaction at the source.
The present white paper is submitted as part of the “Snowmass” process to help inform the long-term plans of the United States Department of Energy and the National Science Foundation for high-energy ...physics. It summarizes the science questions driving the Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic-Ray (UHECR) community and provides recommendations on the strategy to answer them in the next two decades.
Galactic point sources of TeV antineutrinos Anchordoqui, Luis A; Goldberg, Haim; Halzen, Francis ...
Physics letters. B,
07/2004, Letnik:
593, Številka:
1-4
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
High energy cosmic ray experiments have identified an excess from the region of the Galactic Plane in a limited energy range around 1018 eV (EeV). This is very suggestive of neutrons as candidate ...primaries, because the directional signal requires relatively-stable neutral primaries, and time-dilated neutrons can reach Earth from typical Galactic distances when the neutron energy exceeds an EeV. We here point out that if the Galactic messengers are neutrons, then those with energies below an EeV will decay in flight, providing a flux of cosmic antineutrinos above a TeV which is observable at a kilometer-scale neutrino observatory. The expected event rate per year above 1 TeV in a detector such as IceCube, for example, is 20 antineutrino showers (all flavors) and a 1° directional signal of 4 ν̄μ events. A measurement of this flux can serve to identify the first extraterrestrial point source of TeV antineutrinos.