Search for the Prompt Atmospheric Neutrino Flux in IceCube

The IceCube Collaboration

Search for the Prompt Atmospheric Neutrino Flux in IceCube

The IceCube Collaboration

Physics and Astronomy

Stony Brook University

Loyola University Chicago
German Electron Synchrotron
University of Canterbury
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Institute of Physics Bhubaneswar
Université libre de Bruxelles
University of Copenhagen
TU Dortmund University
University of Delaware
Marquette University
Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg
Harvard University
University of Utah
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
University of California at Irvine
University of California at Berkeley
Ohio State University
Ruhr University Bochum
Chalmers University of Technology
Uppsala University
Technical University of Munich
RWTH Aachen University
University of Rochester
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Padua
University of Kansas
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Georgia Institute of Technology
University of Adelaide
University of Münster
Drexel University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article › peer-review

Abstract

For about a decade the IceCube Neutrino Observatory has been observing a high-energy diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux. At these energies, an important source of background are the prompt atmospheric neutrinos produced in decays of charmed mesons that are part of cosmic-ray-induced air showers. The production yield of charmed mesons in the very forward phase space of hadronic interactions, and thus the flux of prompt neutrinos, is not well known and has not yet been observed by IceCube. A measurement of the flux of prompt neutrinos will improve the modeling of hadronic interactions in cosmic-ray induced air showers at high energies. Additionally, in the context of astrophysical neutrino measurements, understanding this background flux will improve the measurement precision of the spectral shape in the future. In particular, the analysis of up-going muon neutrino-induced tracks in IceCube provides a large sample of atmospheric neutrinos which likely includes prompt neutrinos. However, the measurement of a subdominant prompt neutrino flux strongly depends on the hypothesis for the dominant astrophysical neutrino flux. This makes the estimation of upper limits on the prompt neutrino flux challenging. We discuss the extent of this model dependency on the astrophysical flux and propose a method to calculate robust upper limits. Furthermore, a possible dedicated search of the prompt neutrino flux using multiple IceCube detection channels is outlined.

Original language	English
Article number	1068
Journal	Proceedings of Science
Volume	444
State	Published - Sep 27 2024
Event	38th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2023 - Nagoya, Japan Duration: Jul 26 2023 → Aug 3 2023

Cite this

@article{c1d8c66ed69b4f27a3fb4e0b99f52dab,

title = "Search for the Prompt Atmospheric Neutrino Flux in IceCube",

abstract = "For about a decade the IceCube Neutrino Observatory has been observing a high-energy diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux. At these energies, an important source of background are the prompt atmospheric neutrinos produced in decays of charmed mesons that are part of cosmic-ray-induced air showers. The production yield of charmed mesons in the very forward phase space of hadronic interactions, and thus the flux of prompt neutrinos, is not well known and has not yet been observed by IceCube. A measurement of the flux of prompt neutrinos will improve the modeling of hadronic interactions in cosmic-ray induced air showers at high energies. Additionally, in the context of astrophysical neutrino measurements, understanding this background flux will improve the measurement precision of the spectral shape in the future. In particular, the analysis of up-going muon neutrino-induced tracks in IceCube provides a large sample of atmospheric neutrinos which likely includes prompt neutrinos. However, the measurement of a subdominant prompt neutrino flux strongly depends on the hypothesis for the dominant astrophysical neutrino flux. This makes the estimation of upper limits on the prompt neutrino flux challenging. We discuss the extent of this model dependency on the astrophysical flux and propose a method to calculate robust upper limits. Furthermore, a possible dedicated search of the prompt neutrino flux using multiple IceCube detection channels is outlined.",

author = "\{The IceCube Collaboration\} and R. Abbasi and M. Ackermann and J. Adams and Agarwalla, \{S. K.\} and Aguilar, \{J. A.\} and M. Ahlers and Alameddine, \{J. M.\} and Amin, \{N. M.\} and K. Andeen and G. Anton and C. Arg{\"u}elles and Y. Ashida and S. Athanasiadou and Axani, \{S. N.\} and X. Bai and Balagopal, \{A. V.\} and M. Baricevic and Barwick, \{S. W.\} and V. Basu and R. Bay and Beatty, \{J. J.\} and \{Becker Tjus\}, J. and J. Beise and C. Bellenghi and C. Benning and S. BenZvi and D. Berley and E. Bernardini and Besson, \{D. Z.\} and E. Blaufuss and S. Blot and F. Bontempo and Book, \{J. Y.\} and \{Boscolo Meneguolo\}, C. and S. B{\"o}ser and O. Botner and J. B{\"o}ttcher and E. Bourbeau and J. Braun and B. Brinson and J. Brostean-Kaiser and Burley, \{R. T.\} and Busse, \{R. S.\} and D. Butterfield and Campana, \{M. A.\} and K. Carloni and Carnie-Bronca, \{E. G.\} and S. Chattopadhyay and N. Chau and J. Kiryluk",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Copyright owned by the author(s) under the terms of the Creative Commons.; 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2023 ; Conference date: 26-07-2023 Through 03-08-2023",

year = "2024",

month = sep,

day = "27",

language = "English",

volume = "444",

journal = "Proceedings of Science",

issn = "1824-8039",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Search for the Prompt Atmospheric Neutrino Flux in IceCube

AU - The IceCube Collaboration

AU - Abbasi, R.

AU - Ackermann, M.

AU - Adams, J.

AU - Agarwalla, S. K.

AU - Aguilar, J. A.

AU - Ahlers, M.

AU - Alameddine, J. M.

AU - Amin, N. M.

AU - Andeen, K.

AU - Anton, G.

AU - Argüelles, C.

AU - Ashida, Y.

AU - Athanasiadou, S.

AU - Axani, S. N.

AU - Bai, X.

AU - Balagopal, A. V.

AU - Baricevic, M.

AU - Barwick, S. W.

AU - Basu, V.

AU - Bay, R.

AU - Beatty, J. J.

AU - Becker Tjus, J.

AU - Beise, J.

AU - Bellenghi, C.

AU - Benning, C.

AU - BenZvi, S.

AU - Berley, D.

AU - Bernardini, E.

AU - Besson, D. Z.

AU - Blaufuss, E.

AU - Blot, S.

AU - Bontempo, F.

AU - Book, J. Y.

AU - Boscolo Meneguolo, C.

AU - Böser, S.

AU - Botner, O.

AU - Böttcher, J.

AU - Bourbeau, E.

AU - Braun, J.

AU - Brinson, B.

AU - Brostean-Kaiser, J.

AU - Burley, R. T.

AU - Busse, R. S.

AU - Butterfield, D.

AU - Campana, M. A.

AU - Carloni, K.

AU - Carnie-Bronca, E. G.

AU - Chattopadhyay, S.

AU - Chau, N.

AU - Kiryluk, J.

PY - 2024/9/27

Y1 - 2024/9/27

N2 - For about a decade the IceCube Neutrino Observatory has been observing a high-energy diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux. At these energies, an important source of background are the prompt atmospheric neutrinos produced in decays of charmed mesons that are part of cosmic-ray-induced air showers. The production yield of charmed mesons in the very forward phase space of hadronic interactions, and thus the flux of prompt neutrinos, is not well known and has not yet been observed by IceCube. A measurement of the flux of prompt neutrinos will improve the modeling of hadronic interactions in cosmic-ray induced air showers at high energies. Additionally, in the context of astrophysical neutrino measurements, understanding this background flux will improve the measurement precision of the spectral shape in the future. In particular, the analysis of up-going muon neutrino-induced tracks in IceCube provides a large sample of atmospheric neutrinos which likely includes prompt neutrinos. However, the measurement of a subdominant prompt neutrino flux strongly depends on the hypothesis for the dominant astrophysical neutrino flux. This makes the estimation of upper limits on the prompt neutrino flux challenging. We discuss the extent of this model dependency on the astrophysical flux and propose a method to calculate robust upper limits. Furthermore, a possible dedicated search of the prompt neutrino flux using multiple IceCube detection channels is outlined.

AB - For about a decade the IceCube Neutrino Observatory has been observing a high-energy diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux. At these energies, an important source of background are the prompt atmospheric neutrinos produced in decays of charmed mesons that are part of cosmic-ray-induced air showers. The production yield of charmed mesons in the very forward phase space of hadronic interactions, and thus the flux of prompt neutrinos, is not well known and has not yet been observed by IceCube. A measurement of the flux of prompt neutrinos will improve the modeling of hadronic interactions in cosmic-ray induced air showers at high energies. Additionally, in the context of astrophysical neutrino measurements, understanding this background flux will improve the measurement precision of the spectral shape in the future. In particular, the analysis of up-going muon neutrino-induced tracks in IceCube provides a large sample of atmospheric neutrinos which likely includes prompt neutrinos. However, the measurement of a subdominant prompt neutrino flux strongly depends on the hypothesis for the dominant astrophysical neutrino flux. This makes the estimation of upper limits on the prompt neutrino flux challenging. We discuss the extent of this model dependency on the astrophysical flux and propose a method to calculate robust upper limits. Furthermore, a possible dedicated search of the prompt neutrino flux using multiple IceCube detection channels is outlined.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85212307870

M3 - Conference article

SN - 1824-8039

VL - 444

JO - Proceedings of Science

JF - Proceedings of Science

M1 - 1068

T2 - 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2023

Y2 - 26 July 2023 through 3 August 2023

ER -

Search for the Prompt Atmospheric Neutrino Flux in IceCube

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