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Upper Limit on the Diffuse Flux of Ultrahigh Energy Tau Neutrinos from the Pierre Auger Observatory (2008)

Abstract
The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory is sensitive to Earth-skimming tau-neutrinos $\nu_\tau$ that interact in the Earth's crust. Tau leptons from $\nu_\tau$ charged-current interactions can emerge and decay in the atmosphere to produce a nearly horizontal shower with a significant electromagnetic component. The data collected between 1 January 2004 and 31 August 2007 is used to place an upper limit on the diffuse flux of $\nu_\tau$ at EeV energies. Assuming an $E_\nu^{-2}$ differential energy spectrum the limit set at 90 $\%$ C.L. is $E_\nu^{2}~\mathrm{d}N_{\nu_\tau}/\mathrm{d}E_{\nu} < 1.3 \times 10^{-7}$ GeV cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ sr$^{-1}$ in the energy range $2\times10^{17} \mathrm{eV} < E_\nu < 2\times10^{19}$~eV.

Publication details
Download http://hal.archives-ouvertes.fr/hal-00196126/en/
Publisher HAL - CCSD
Repository HAL-IN2P3 ()
Keywords Physics/Astrophysics, Sciences of the Universe/Astrophysics, neutrino, cosmic rays, UHE
Type peer-reviewed article
Language English
Relation http://hal.in2p3.fr/docs/00/19/61/26/PDF/PAO_NuTauLimit.pdf