Diffuse fluxes of cosmic high-energy neutrinos.
Abstract
Production spectra of high-energy neutrinos from galactic cosmic-ray interactions with interstellar gas and extragalactic ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray interactions with microwave blackbody photons are presented and discussed. These production processes involve the decay of charged pions and are thus related to the production of cosmic gamma rays from the decay of neutral pions. Estimates of the neutrino fluxes from various diffuse cosmic sources are then made, and the reasons for significant differences with previous estimates are discussed. Small predicted event rates for a DUMAND (deep underwater muon and neutrino detector) type detection system, combined with a possible significant flux of prompt neutrinos from the atmosphere above 50 TeV, may make the study of diffuse extraterrestrial neutrinos more difficult than previously thought.
- Publication:
-
The Astrophysical Journal
- Pub Date:
- March 1979
- DOI:
- 10.1086/156919
- Bibcode:
- 1979ApJ...228..919S
- Keywords:
-
- Cosmic Rays;
- Gamma Ray Astronomy;
- High Energy Interactions;
- Interstellar Gas;
- Neutrinos;
- Particle Diffusion;
- X Ray Spectra;
- Background Radiation;
- Black Body Radiation;
- Hydrogen Atoms;
- Particle Flux Density;
- Particle Interactions;
- Pion Beams;
- Space Radiation;
- Cosmic Rays:Neutrinos