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Heavy right-handed neutrino dark matter and PeV neutrinos at IceCube
We discuss a simple non-supersymmetric model based on the electroweak gauge group SU(2){sub L}×SU(2){sup ′}×U(1){sub B−L} where the lightest of the right-handed neutrinos, which are part of the leptonic doublet of SU(2){sup ′}, play the role of a long-lived unstable dark matter with mass in the multi-PeV range. We use a resonant s-channel annihilation to obtain the correct thermal relic density and relax the unitarity bound on dark matter mass. In this model, there exists a 3-body dark matter decay mode producing tau leptons and neutrinos, which could be the source for the PeV cascade events observed in the IceCube experiment. The model can be tested with more precise flavor information of the highest-energy neutrino events in future data.
JITTER RADIATION MODEL OF THE CRAB GAMMA-RAY FLARES
The gamma-ray flares of the Crab nebula detected by the Fermi and AGILE satellites challenge our understanding of the physics of pulsars and their nebulae. The central problem is that the peak energy of the flares exceeds the maximum energy E {sub c} determined by synchrotron radiation loss. However, when turbulent magnetic fields exist with scales {lambda}{sub B} smaller than 2{pi}mc {sup 2}/eB, jitter radiation can emit photons with energies higher than E {sub c}. The scale required for the Crab flares is about two orders of magnitude less than the wavelength of the striped wind. We discuss a model in which the flares are triggered by plunging the high-density blobs into the termination shock. The observed hard spectral shape may be explained by the jitter mechanism. We make three observational predictions: first, the polarization degree will become lower in flares; second, no counterpart will be seen in TeV-PeV range; and third, the flare spectrum will not be harder than {nu}F {sub {nu}}{proportional_to}{nu}{sup 1}.
Recent results from the ANTARES neutrino telescope
The ANTARES detector, located in the deep sea 40 km off the French coast, is the largest neutrino telescope in the northern hemisphere. It consists of an array of 885 photomultipliers detecting the Cherenkov light induced by charged leptons created in neutrino interactions in and around the detector. The main goal of ANTARES is to search for astrophysical neutrinos in the TeV-PeV range. This comprises searches for a diffuse cosmic neutrino flux and for fluxes from possible galactic and extragalactic sources of neutrinos. The search program also includes multi-messenger analyses based on time and/or space coincidences with other cosmic probes. The ANTARES detector is sensitive to a wide range of other phenomena, from atmospheric neutrino oscillations to dark matter annihilation or potential exotics such as nuclearites and magnetic monopoles.
Diffuse emission of high-energy neutrinos from gamma-ray burst fireballs
Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been suggested as possible sources of the high-energy neutrino flux recently detected by the IceCube telescope. We revisit the fireball emission model and elaborate an analytical prescription to estimate the high-energy neutrino prompt emission from pion and kaon decays, assuming that the leading mechanism for the neutrino production is lepto-hadronic. To this purpose, we include hadronic, radiative and adiabatic cooling effects and discuss their relevance for long- (including high- and low-luminosity) and short-duration GRBs. The expected diffuse neutrino background is derived, by requiring that the GRB high-energy neutrino counterparts follow up-to-date gamma-ray luminosity functions and redshift evolutions of the long and short GRBs. Although dedicated stacking searches have been unsuccessful up to now, we find that GRBs could contribute up to a few % to the observed IceCube high-energy neutrino flux for sub-PeV energies, assuming that the latter has a diffuse origin. Gamma-ray bursts, especially low-luminosity ones, could however be the main sources of the IceCube high-energy neutrino flux in the PeV range. While high-luminosity and low-luminosity GRBs have comparable intensities, the contribution from the short-duration component is significantly smaller. Our findings confirm the most-recent IceCube results on the GRB searches and suggest that larger exposure is mandatory to detect high-energy neutrinos from high-luminosity GRBs in the near future.
Search for a small-scale neutrino anisotropy with three years of IceCube data
The IceCube neutrino observatory built in the antarctic ice offers unique opportunities in studying high energy neutrino emission from Galactic and extragalactic sources. Detecting such neutrino emission could give valuable information about the origin of cosmic rays. Recently, first evidence for a diffuse astrophysical neutrino signal in the PeV range was found with IceCube. There is no clear point source signal yet, and advanced analysis methods are being developed in order to improve the sensitivity to point sources and resolve the diffuse signal into point sources. Other searches like a energy-dependent likelihood scan were already performed on IceCube data. In this paper, we report a complementary search for multiple neutrino point sources from three years of IceCube data, performing an autocorrelation test on the full sky. This analysis is aiming for various faint sources at unknown positions and energy spectra in the sky. The result obtained from this search is consistant with a background-only case and shows an underfluctuation. Here, we present limits using the ansatz of the small-scale anisotropy search.
STRUCTURED JETS IN BL LAC OBJECTS: EFFICIENT PeV NEUTRINO FACTORIES?
The origin of high-energy neutrinos (0.1–1 PeV range) detected by IceCube remains a mystery. In this work, we explore the possibility that efficient neutrino production can occur in structured jets of BL Lac objects, characterized by a fast inner spine surrounded by a slower layer. This scenario has been widely discussed in the framework of the high-energy emission models for BL Lac objects and radio galaxies. One of the relevant consequences of a velocity structure is the enhancement of the inverse Compton emission caused by the radiative coupling of the two zones. We show that a similar boosting could occur for the neutrino output of the spine through the photo-meson reaction of high-energy protons scattering off the amplified soft target photon field of the layer. Assuming the local density and the cosmological evolution of γ-ray BL Lac object derived from Fermi Large Area Telescope data, we calculate the expected diffuse neutrino intensity, which can match the IceCube data for a reasonable choice of parameters.
IceCube events and decaying dark matter: hints and constraints
In the light of the new IceCube data on the (yet unidentified) astrophysical neutrino flux in the PeV and sub-PeV range, we present an update on the status of decaying dark matter interpretation of the events. In particular, we develop further the angular distribution analysis and discuss the perspectives for diagnostics. By performing various statistical tests (maximum likelihood, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Anderson-Darling tests) we conclude that currently the data show a mild preference (below the two sigma level) for the angular distribution expected from dark matter decay vs. the isotropic distribution foreseen for a conventional astrophysical flux of extragalactic origin. Also, we briefly develop some general considerations on heavy dark matter model building and on the compatibility of the expected energy spectrum of decay products with the IceCube data, as well as with existing bounds from gamma-rays. Alternatively, assuming that the IceCube data originate from conventional astrophysical sources, we derive bounds on both decaying and annihilating dark matter for various final states. The lower limits on heavy dark matter lifetime improve by up to an order of magnitude with respect to existing constraints, definitively making these events—even if astrophysical in origin—an important tool for astroparticle physics studies.
Dark Grand Unification in the axiverse: decaying axion dark matter and spontaneous baryogenesis
The quantum chromodynamics axion with a decay constant near the Grand Unification (GUT) scale has an ultralight mass near a neV. We show, however, that axion-like particles with masses near the keV–PeV range with GUT-scale decay constants are also well motivated in that they naturally arise from axiverse theories with dark c gauge groups. We demonstrate that the correct dark matter abundance may be achieved by the heavy axions in these models through the misalignment mechanism in combination with a period of early matter domination from the long-lived dark glueballs of the same gauge group. Heavy axion dark matter may decay to two photons, yielding mono-energetic electromagnetic signatures that may be detectable by current or next-generation space-based telescopes. We project the sensitivity of next-generation telescopes including Athena, AMEGO, and e-ASTROGAM to such decaying axion dark matter. If the dark sector contains multiple confining gauge groups, then the observed primordial baryon asymmetry may also be achieved in this scenario through spontaneous baryogenesis. We present explicit orbifold constructions where the dark gauge groups unify with the SM at the GUT scale and axions emerge as the fifth components of dark gauge fields with bulk Chern-Simons terms.
Low-luminosity gamma-ray bursts as the sources of ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray nuclei
Recent results from the Pierre Auger Collaboration have shown that the composition of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) becomes gradually heavier with increasing energy. Although gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have been promising sources of UHECRs, it is still unclear whether they can account for the Auger results because of their unknown nuclear composition of ejected UHECRs. In this work, we revisit the possibility that low-luminosity GRBs (LL GRBs) act as the sources of UHECR nuclei and give new predictions based on the intrajet nuclear composition models considering progenitor dependencies. We find that the nuclear component in the jet can be divided into two groups according to the mass fraction of silicon nuclei, Si-free and Si-rich. Motivated by the connection between LL GRBs and transrelativistic supernovae, we also consider the hypernova ejecta composition. Then, we discuss the survivability of UHECR nuclei in the jet base and internal shocks of the jets, and show that it is easier for nuclei to survive for typical LL GRBs. Finally, we numerically propagate UHECR nuclei ejected from LL GRBs with different composition models and compare the resulting spectra and composition to Auger data. Our results show that both the Si-rich progenitor and hypernova ejecta models match the Auger data well, while the Si-free progenitor models have more difficulty in fitting the spectrum. We argue that our model is consistent with the newly reported cross-correlation between the UHECRs and starburst galaxies, since both LL GRBs and hypernovae are expected to be tracers of the star-formation activity. LL GRBs have also been suggested as the dominant origin of IceCube neutrinos in the PeV range, and the LL GRB origin of UHECRs can be critically tested by near-future multimessenger observations.
A Search for IceCube Events in the Direction of ANITA Neutrino Candidates
During the first three flights of the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) experiment, the collaboration detected several neutrino candidates. Two of these candidate events were consistent with an ultra-high-energy upgoing air shower and compatible with a tau neutrino interpretation. A third neutrino candidate event was detected in a search for Askaryan radiation in the Antarctic ice, although it is also consistent with the background expectation. The inferred emergence angle of the first two events is in tension with IceCube and ANITA limits on isotropic cosmogenic neutrino fluxes. Here we test the hypothesis that these events are astrophysical in origin, possibly caused by a point source in the reconstructed direction. Given that any ultra-high-energy tau neutrino flux traversing the Earth should be accompanied by a secondary flux in the TeV-PeV range, we search for these secondary counterparts in 7 yr of IceCube data using three complementary approaches. In the absence of any significant detection, we set upper limits on the neutrino flux from potential point sources. Finally, we compare these limits to ANITA's sensitivity in the same direction and show that an astrophysical explanation of these anomalous events under standard model assumptions is severely constrained regardless of source spectrum.
PIONEER: Studies of Rare Pion Decays
A next-generation rare pion decay experiment, PIONEER, is strongly motivated by several inconsistencies between Standard Model (SM) predictions and data pointing towards the potential violation of lepton flavor universality. It will probe non-SM explanations of these anomalies through sensitivity to quantum effects of new particles even if their masses are at very high scales. Measurement of the charged-pion branching ratio to electrons vs. muons $R_{e/\mu}$ is extremely sensitive to new physics effects. At present, the SM prediction for $R_{e/\mu}$ is known to 1 part in $10^4$, which is 15 times more precise than the current experimental result. An experiment reaching the theoretical accuracy will test lepton flavor universality at an unprecedented level, probing mass scales up to the PeV range. Measurement of pion beta decay, $\pi^+\to \pi^0 e^+ \nu (\gamma)$, with 3 to 10-fold improvement in sensitivity, will determine $V_{ud}$ in a theoretically pristine manner and test CKM unitarity, which is very important in light of the recently emerged tensions. In addition, various exotic rare decays involving sterile neutrinos and axions will be searched for with unprecedented sensitivity. The experiment design benefits from experience with the recent PIENU and PEN experiments at TRIUMF and the Paul Scherrer Institut (PSI). Excellent energy and time resolutions, greatly increased calorimeter depth, high-speed detector and electronics response, large solid angle coverage, and complete event reconstruction are all critical aspects of the approach. The PIONEER experiment design includes a 3$\pi$ sr 25 radiation length calorimeter, a segmented low gain avalanche detector stopping target, a positron tracker, and other detectors. Using intense pion beams, and state-of-the-art instrumentation and computational resources, the experiments can be performed at the PSI ring cyclotron.
Production of Charmed Particles in the Quark-Gluon String Model and Estimate of Their Contributions to Atmospheric Neutrino Fluxes
An estimate of the flux of prompt atmospheric neutrinos produced in decays of charmed particles is obtained. Cross sections of the production of charmed particles (D, Λ{sub c}) in pA and πA collisions are calculated in the quark-gluon string model (QGSM) for the energy range 1 TeV – 100 PeV. New data on the cross sections of charmed meson production at high energies, obtained in experiments at the Large Hadron Collider, make it possible to refine the values of the free parameters of the QGSM and obtain a preliminary estimate of the prompt atmospheric neutrino flux. A comparison is made with the results of other neutrino flux calculations carried out for other charm production models – the dipole model and SIBYLL 2.3rc1.
Charm decay in slow-jet supernovae as the origin of the IceCube ultra-high energy neutrino events
We investigate whether the recent ultra-high energy neutrino events detected at the IceCube neutrino observatory could come from the decay of charmed mesons produced within the mildly relativistic jets of supernova-like astrophysical sources. We demonstrate that the allowed region in the astrophysical and QCD parameter spaces permit an explanation of the 5.7σ excess of neutrinos observed by IceCube in the energy range 30 TeV–2 PeV as a diffuse flux of neutrinos produced in such slow-jet supernovae. We discuss the theoretical uncertainties inherent in the evaluation of charm production in high energy hadronic collisions, as well as some of the astrophysical uncertainties associated with slow-jet supernova sources. These sources result in a diffuse neutrino spectrum that exhibits a sharp drop at energies above a few PeV. We incorporate the effect of energy dependence in the spectrum-weighted charm production and decay cross sections and show that this has a very significant effect on the shape, magnitude and cutoff energies for the diffuse neutrino flux.
Gamma-ray bounds from EAS detectors and heavy decaying dark matter constraints
The very high energy Galactic γ-ray sky is partially opaque in the (0.1–10) PeV energy range. In the light of the recently detected high energy neutrino flux by IceCube, a comparable very high energy γ-ray flux is expected in any scenario with a sizable Galactic contribution to the neutrino flux. Here we elaborate on the peculiar energy and anisotropy features imposed upon these very high energy γ-rays by the absorption on the cosmic microwave background photons and Galactic interstellar light. As a notable application of our considerations, we study the prospects of probing the PeV-scale decaying DM scenario, proposed as a possible source of IceCube neutrinos, by extensive air shower (EAS) cosmic ray experiments. In particular, we show that anisotropy measurements at EAS experiments are already sensitive to τ{sub DM}∼O(10{sup 27}) s and future measurements, using better gamma/hadron separation, can improve the limit significantly.
ANISOTROPY AS A PROBE OF THE GALACTIC COSMIC-RAY PROPAGATION AND HALO MAGNETIC FIELD
The anisotropy of cosmic rays (CRs) in the solar vicinity is generally attributed to CR streaming due to the discrete distribution of CR sources or local magnetic field modulation. Recently, the two-dimensional large-scale CR anisotropy has been measured by many experiments in the TeV-PeV energy range in both hemispheres. The tail-in excess along the tangential direction of the local spiral arm and the loss cone deficit pointing to the north Galactic pole direction agree with what have been obtained in tens to hundreds of GeV. The persistence of the two large-scale anisotropy structures in such a wide energy range suggests that the anisotropy might be due to global streaming of the Galactic CRs (GCRs). This work tries to extend the observed CR anisotropy picture from the solar system to the whole galaxy. In such a case, we can find a new interesting signature, a loop of GCR streaming, of the GCR propagation. We further calculate the overall GCR streaming induced magnetic field, and find a qualitative consistency with the observed structure of the halo magnetic field.
FLARES IN THE CRAB NEBULA DRIVEN BY UNTWISTING MAGNETIC FIELDS
The recent discovery of PeV electrons from the Crab Nebula, produced on rapid timescales of one day or less with a sharply peaked gamma-ray spectrum without hard X-rays, challenges traditional models of diffusive shock acceleration followed by synchrotron radiation. Here, we outline an acceleration model involving a DC electric field parallel to the magnetic field in a twisted toroidal field around the pulsar. Sudden developments of resistivity in localized regions of the twisted field are thought to drive the particle acceleration, up to PeV energies, resulting in flares. This model can reproduce the observed timescales of T Almost-Equal-To 1 day, the peak photon energies of U{sub {Phi},rr} Almost-Equal-To 1 MeV, maximum electron energies of U{sub e,rr} Almost-Equal-To 1 PeV, and luminosities of L Almost-Equal-To 10{sup 36} erg s{sup -1}.
Particle physicist's dreams about PetaelectronVolt laser plasma accelerators
Present day accelerators are working well in the multi TeV energy scale and one is expecting exciting results in the coming years. Conventional technologies, however, can offer only incremental (factor 2 or 3) increase in beam energies which does not follow the usual speed of progress in the frontiers of high energy physics. Laser plasma accelerators theoretically provide unique possibilities to achieve orders of magnitude increases entering the PetaelectronVolt (PeV) energy range. It will be discussed what kind of new perspectives could be opened for the physics at this new energy scale. What type of accelerators would be required?.