Probing the origin of cosmic-rays with extremely high energy neutrinos using the IceCube Observatory

ArXiv 1310.5477 (2013)

Authors:

IceCube Collaboration, MG Aartsen, R Abbasi, M Ackermann, J Adams, JA Aguilar, M Ahlers, D Altmann, C Arguelles, J Auffenberg, X Bai, M Baker, SW Barwick, V Baum, R Bay, JJ Beatty, J Becker Tjus, K-H Becker, S BenZvi, P Berghaus, D Berley, E Bernardini, A Bernhard, DZ Besson, G Binder, D Bindig, M Bissok, E Blaufuss, J Blumenthal, DJ Boersma, C Bohm, D Bose, S Böser, O Botner, L Brayeur, H-P Bretz, AM Brown, R Bruijn, J Casey, M Casier, D Chirkin, A Christov, B Christy, K Clark, F Clevermann, S Coenders, S Cohen, DF Cowen, AH Cruz Silva, M Danninger, J Daughhetee, JC Davis, M Day, C De Clercq, S De Ridder, P Desiati, KD de Vries, M de With, T DeYoung, JC Díaz-Vélez, M Dunkman, R Eagan, B Eberhardt, J Eisch, S Euler, PA Evenson, O Fadiran, AR Fazely, A Fedynitch, J Feintzeig, T Feusels, K Filimonov, C Finley, T Fischer-Wasels, S Flis, A Franckowiak, K Frantzen, T Fuchs, TK Gaisser, J Gallagher, L Gerhardt, L Gladstone, T Glüsenkamp, A Goldschmidt, G Golup, JG Gonzalez, JA Goodman, D Góra, DT Grandmont, D Grant, P Gretskov, JC Groh, A Groß, C Ha, A Haj Ismail, P Hallen, A Hallgren, F Halzen, K Hanson, D Heereman, D Heinen, K Helbing, R Hellauer, S Hickford, GC Hill, KD Hoffman, R Hoffmann, A Homeier, K Hoshina, W Huelsnitz, PO Hulth, K Hultqvist, S Hussain, A Ishihara, E Jacobi, J Jacobsen, K Jagielski, GS Japaridze, K Jero, O Jlelati, B Kaminsky, A Kappes, T Karg, A Karle, M Kauer, JL Kelley, J Kiryluk, J Kläs, SR Klein, J-H Köhne, G Kohnen, H Kolanoski, L Köpke, C Kopper, S Kopper, DJ Koskinen, M Kowalski, M Krasberg, A Kriesten, K Krings, G Kroll, J Kunnen, N Kurahashi, T Kuwabara, M Labare, H Landsman, MJ Larson, M Lesiak-Bzdak, M Leuermann, J Leute, J Lünemann, O Macías, J Madsen, G Maggi, R Maruyama, K Mase, HS Matis, F McNally, K Meagher, M Merck, T Meures, S Miarecki, E Middell, N Milke, J Miller, L Mohrmann, T Montaruli, R Morse, R Nahnhauer, U Naumann, H Niederhausen, SC Nowicki, DR Nygren, A Obertacke, S Odrowski, A Olivas, A Omairat, A O'Murchadha, L Paul, JA Pepper, C Pérez de los Heros, C Pfendner, D Pieloth, D Pieloth, E Pinat, J Posselt, PB Price, GT Przybylski, L Rädel, M Rameez, K Rawlins, P Redl, R Reimann, E Resconi, W Rhode, M Ribordy, M Richman, B Riedel, JP Rodrigues, C Rott, T Ruhe, B Ruzybayev, D Ryckbosch, SM Saba, H-G Sander, M Santander, S Sarkar, K Schatto, F Scheriau, T Schmidt, M Schmitz, S Schoenen, S Schöneberg, A Schönwald, A Schukraft, L Schulte, O Schulz, D Seckel, Y Sestayo, S Seunarine, R Shanidze, C Sheremata, MWE Smith, D Soldin, GM Spiczak, C Spiering, M Stamatikos, T Stanev, NA Stanisha, A Stasik, T Stezelberger, RG Stokstad, A Stößl, EA Strahler, R Ström, GW Sullivan, H Taavola, I Taboada, A Tamburro, A Tepe, S Ter-Antonyan, G Tešić, S Tilav, PA Toale, MN Tobin, S Toscano, E Unger, M Usner, S Vallecorsa, N van Eijndhoven, A Van Overloop, J van Santen, M Vehring, M Voge, M Vraeghe, C Walck, T Waldenmaier, M Wallraff, Ch Weaver, M Wellons, C Wendt, S Westerhoff, N Whitehorn, K Wiebe, CH Wiebusch, DR Williams, H Wissing, M Wolf, TR Wood, K Woschnagg, DL Xu, XW Xu, JP Yanez, G Yodh, S Yoshida, P Zarzhitsky, J Ziemann, S Zierke, M Zoll

Abstract:

We have searched for extremely high energy neutrinos using data taken with the IceCube detector between May 2010 and May 2012. Two neutrino induced particle shower events with energies around 1 PeV were observed, as reported previously. In this work, we investigate whether these events could originate from cosmogenic neutrinos produced in the interactions of ultra-high energy cosmic-rays with ambient photons while propagating through intergalactic space. Exploiting IceCube's large exposure for extremely high energy neutrinos and the lack of observed events above 100 PeV, we can rule out the corresponding models at more than 90% confidence level. The model independent quasi-differential 90% CL upper limit, which amounts to $E^2 φ_{ν_e + ν_μ+ ν_τ} = 1.2 \times 10^{-7}$ GeV cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ sr$^{-1}$ at 1 EeV, provides the most stringent constraint in the energy range from 10 PeV to 10 EeV. Our observation disfavors strong cosmological evolution of the highest energy cosmic ray sources such as the Fanaroff-Riley type II class of radio galaxies.

Excess Astrophysical Photons from a 0.1–1 keV Cosmic Axion Background

Physics Review Letters 111 (2013) 15130

Authors:

J Conlon, MCD Marsh

Searching for a 0.1-1 keV Cosmic Axion Background

Phys. Rev. Lett. 111 (2013) 151301-151301

Authors:

JP Conlon, MCD Marsh

Abstract:

Primordial decays of string theory moduli at z \sim 10^{12} naturally generate a dark radiation Cosmic Axion Background (CAB) with 0.1 - 1 keV energies. This CAB can be detected through axion-photon conversion in astrophysical magnetic fields to give quasi-thermal excesses in the extreme ultraviolet and soft X-ray bands. Substantial and observable luminosities may be generated even for axion-photon couplings \ll 10^{-11} GeV^{-1}. We propose that axion-photon conversion may explain the observed excess emission of soft X-rays from galaxy clusters, and may also contribute to the diffuse unresolved cosmic X-ray background. We list a number of correlated predictions of the scenario.

Is natural SUSY natural?

Journal of High Energy Physics Springer Nature 2013:10 (2013) 133

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory Part VI: Ice Properties, Reconstruction and Future Developments

ArXiv 1309.701 (2013)

Authors:

IceCube Collaboration, MG Aartsen, R Abbasi, Y Abdou, M Ackermann, J Adams, JA Aguilar, M Ahlers, D Altmann, J Auffenberg, X Bai, M Baker, SW Barwick, V Baum, R Bay, JJ Beatty, S Bechet, J Becker Tjus, K-H Becker, M Bell, ML Benabderrahmane, S BenZvi, P Berghaus, D Berley, E Bernardini, A Bernhard, D Bertrand, DZ Besson, G Binder, D Bindig, M Bissok, E Blaufuss, J Blumenthal, DJ Boersma, S Bohaichuk, C Bohm, D Bose, S Böser, O Botner, L Brayeur, H-P Bretz, AM Brown, R Bruijn, J Brunner, M Carson, J Casey, M Casier, D Chirkin, A Christov, B Christy, K Clark, F Clevermann, S Coenders, S Cohen, DF Cowen, AH Cruz Silva, M Danninger, J Daughhetee, JC Davis, C De Clercq, S De Ridder, P Desiati, KD de Vries, M de With, T DeYoung, JC Díaz-Vélez, M Dunkman, R Eagan, B Eberhardt, J Eisch, RW Ellsworth, S Euler, PA Evenson, O Fadiran, AR Fazely, A Fedynitch, J Feintzeig, T Feusels, K Filimonov, C Finley, T Fischer-Wasels, S Flis, A Franckowiak, K Frantzen, T Fuchs, TK Gaisser, J Gallagher, L Gerhardt, L Gladstone, T Glüsenkamp, A Goldschmidt, G Golup, JG Gonzalez, JA Goodman, D Góra, DT Grandmont, D Grant, A Groß, C Ha, A Haj Ismail, P Hallen, A Hallgren, F Halzen, K Hanson, D Heereman, D Heinen, K Helbing, R Hellauer, S Hickford, GC Hill, KD Hoffman, R Hoffmann, A Homeier, K Hoshina, W Huelsnitz, PO Hulth, K Hultqvist, S Hussain, A Ishihara, E Jacobi, J Jacobsen, K Jagielski, GS Japaridze, K Jero, O Jlelati, B Kaminsky, A Kappes, T Karg, A Karle, JL Kelley, J Kiryluk, J Kläs, SR Klein, J-H Köhne, G Kohnen, H Kolanoski, L Köpke, C Kopper, S Kopper, DJ Koskinen, M Kowalski, M Krasberg, K Krings, G Kroll, J Kunnen, N Kurahashi, T Kuwabara, M Labare, H Landsman, MJ Larson, M Lesiak-Bzdak, M Leuermann, J Leute, J Lünemann, J Madsen, G Maggi, R Maruyama, K Mase, HS Matis, F McNally, K Meagher, M Merck, P Mészáros, T Meures, S Miarecki, E Middell, N Milke, J Miller, L Mohrmann, T Montaruli, R Morse, R Nahnhauer, U Naumann, H Niederhausen, SC Nowicki, DR Nygren, A Obertacke, S Odrowski, A Olivas, M Olivo, A O'Murchadha, L Paul, JA Pepper, C Pérez de los Heros, C Pfendner, D Pieloth, E Pinat, J Posselt, PB Price, GT Przybylski, L Rädel, M Rameez, K Rawlins, P Redl, R Reimann, E Resconi, W Rhode, M Ribordy, M Richman, B Riedel, JP Rodrigues, C Rott, T Ruhe, B Ruzybayev, D Ryckbosch, SM Saba, T Salameh, H-G Sander, M Santander, S Sarkar, K Schatto, M Scheel, F Scheriau, T Schmidt, M Schmitz, S Schoenen, S Schöneberg, A Schönwald, A Schukraft, L Schulte, O Schulz, D Seckel, Y Sestayo, S Seunarine, R Shanidze, C Sheremata, MWE Smith, D Soldin, GM Spiczak, C Spiering, M Stamatikos, T Stanev, A Stasik, T Stezelberger, RG Stokstad, A Stößl, EA Strahler, R Ström, GW Sullivan, H Taavola, I Taboada, A Tamburro, A Tepe, S Ter-Antonyan, G Tešić, S Tilav, PA Toale, S Toscano, M Usner, D van der Drift, N van Eijndhoven, A Van Overloop, J van Santen, M Vehring, M Voge, M Vraeghe, C Walck, T Waldenmaier, M Wallraff, R Wasserman, Ch Weaver, M Wellons, C Wendt, S Westerhoff, N Whitehorn, K Wiebe, CH Wiebusch, DR Williams, H Wissing, M Wolf, TR Wood, K Woschnagg, DL Xu, XW Xu, JP Yanez, G Yodh, S Yoshida, P Zarzhitsky, J Ziemann, S Zierke, M Zoll

Abstract:

Papers on ice properties, reconstruction and future developments submitted to the 33nd International Cosmic Ray Conference (Rio de Janeiro 2013) by the IceCube Collaboration.