Cosmic tau neutrino detection via Cherenkov signals from air showers from Earth-emerging taus

Abstract

We perform a new, detailed calculation of the flux and energy spectrum of Earth-emerging $\tau$-leptons generated from the interactions of tau neutrinos and antineutrinos in the Earth. A layered model of the Earth is used to describe the variable density profile of the Earth. Different assumptions regarding the neutrino charged- and neutral-current cross sections as well as the $\tau$-lepton energy loss models are used to quantify the systematic uncertainty from these on the results. A baseline simulation is then used to generate the optical Cherenkov signal from upward-moving extensive air showers generated by the $\tau$-lepton decay in the atmosphere, applicable to a range of space-based instruments. We use this simulation to determine the neutrino sensitivity for $E_{\nu }>$ 10 PeV for a space-based experiment with performance similar to that for the Probe of Extreme MultiMessenger Astrophysics (POEMMA) mission currently under study.

25 pages; version that appears in PRD

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• Tau Neutrinos in the Next Decade: from GeV to EeV
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• Modeling of the Tau and Muon Neutrino-induced Optical Cherenkov Signals from Upward-moving Extensive Air Showers
• Observing EeV neutrinos through the Earth: GZK and the anomalous ANITA events
• Probing New Physics at Future Tau Neutrino Telescopes
• The POEMMA (Probe of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics) Observatory
• Neutrino propagation in the Earth and emerging charged leptons with $\text{nuPyProp}$
• Anomalous ANITA air shower events and tau decays
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• Space-based Extensive Air Shower Optical Cherenkov and Fluorescence Measurements using SiPM Detectors in context of POEMMA
• Commissioning, Calibration, and Performance of the Cherenkov Telescope on EUSO-SPB2
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• A More Complete Phenomenology of Tau Lepton Induced Air Showers
• Sensitivity to Atypical Tau Initiated Air Showers For a High-Altitude Optical Cherenkov Detector
• A new calculation of Earth-skimming very- and ultra-high energy tau neutrinos