2006 APS April Meeting
Saturday–Tuesday, April 22–25, 2006;
Dallas, TX
Session H3: Ultra-high Energy Cosmic Rays: Experiment and Theory
8:30 AM–10:18 AM,
Sunday, April 23, 2006
Hyatt Regency Dallas
Room: Landmark C
Sponsoring
Units:
DPF DAP
Chair: Sean Carroll, University of Chicago
Abstract ID: BAPS.2006.APR.H3.3
Abstract: H3.00003 : Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Neutrinos
9:42 AM–10:18 AM
Preview Abstract
Abstract
Author:
David Saltzberg
(UCLA Dept. of Physics and Astronomy)
Astrophysical processes appear to produce particles with energies
of at least
$10^{19-20}$~eV. Yet extra-galactic astronomy appears to be limited
for photons with energies above $10^{14}$~eV due to absorption.
Neutrino astronomy offers the possibility to perform extra-galactic
astronomy to these energies and beyond
without an absorption cutoff.
In addition, the interactions of
ultra-high energy (UHE) neutrinos of cosmic origin
with local matter may reveal exotic new physics processes that are
unavailable to modern accelerators.
UHE neutrino telescopes based on optical detection techniques
that are
currently operating
and under construction will soon have apertures on the scale of
10~km$^{3}$-sr with excellent thresholds.
Radio and acoustic detection techniques have
been demonstrated in laboratory experiments and are being used to
instrument apertures from 10 to to $10,000$ km$^{3}$-sr
for neutrinos with energies
above $10^{16}$~eV. Neutrino telescopes based on radio
detection include the RICE detectors placed on the Amanda strings at
the South Pole. The GLUE antennas pointed at the Moon
have set limits on the neutrino intensity at higher energies. The
best sensitivity at the highest energies comes from the FORTE
satellite which looked for interactions in Greenland ice. The
upcoming ANITA long-duration balloon flights over Antarctica will be
sensitive to neutrinos produced by the interactions of cosmic
rays with the cosmic microwave background radiation.
Using the acoustic technique,
the SAUND collaboration recently
performed a UHE neutrino search using hydrophones in the deep sea
near
the Bahamas.
Investigations for even larger apertures
include several other detection possibilities,
including placing radio and acoustic sensors
in large underground salt formations.
The acoustic technique may find promise in
solid media currently under investigation.
The neutrino sensitivity of current and proposed
telescopes based on optical, radio, acoustic techniques will
be compared for both specific models and in a model-independent
fashion.
To cite this abstract, use the following reference: http://meetings.aps.org/link/BAPS.2006.APR.H3.3