Describing the Observed Cosmic Neutrinos by Interactions of Nuclei with Matter

Abstract

IceCube have observed neutrinos which are presumably of extra-galactic origin. Since specific sources have not yet been identified, we discuss what could be learned from the conceptual point of view. We use a simple model for neutrino production from the interactions between nuclei and matter, and we focus on the description of the spectral shape and flavor composition observed by IceCube. Our main parameters are spectral index, maximal energy, magnetic field, and composition of the accelerated nuclei. We show that a cutoff at PeV energies can be achieved by soft enough spectra, a cutoff of the primary energy, or strong enough magnetic fields. These options, however, are difficult to reconcile with the hypothesis that these neutrinos originate from the same sources as the ultra-high energy cosmic rays. We demonstrate that heavier nuclei accelerated in the sources may be a possible way out if the maximal energy scales appropriately with the mass number of the nuclei. In this scenario, neutrino observations can actually be used to test the UHECR acceleration mechanism. We also emphasize the need for a volume upgrade of the IceCube detector for future precision physics, for which the flavor information becomes a statistical meaningful model discriminator as qualitatively new ingredient.

11 pages, 6 figures, 1 table. Several clarifications. Version to appear in Phys. Rev. D

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• Spectral analysis of the high-energy IceCube neutrinos
• High-energy gamma-ray and neutrino backgrounds from clusters of galaxies and radio constraints
• Sterile Neutrinos and Flavor Ratios in IceCube
• High-energy neutrino fluxes and flavor ratio in the Earth's atmosphere
• Probing decaying heavy dark matter with the 4-year IceCube HESE data
• Star-forming galaxies as the origin of the IceCube PeV neutrinos
• Energy-Dependent Neutrino Mixing Parameters at Oscillation Experiments
• Pseudo-Dirac Neutrinos and Relic Neutrino Matter Effect on the High-energy Neutrino Flavor Composition
• Constraining the pseudo-Dirac nature of neutrinos using astrophysical neutrino flavor data
• Flavor Matters, but Matter Flavors: Matter Effects on Flavor Composition of Astrophysical Neutrinos
• Spread Complexity of High Energy Neutrino Propagation over Astrophysical Distances