Detectable neutrino fluxes due to enhanced cosmic ray densities in the Galactic Center region

Abstract

We examine in detail the detectability of a signal of diffuse high energy neutrinos produced in the Milky Way by the interaction of cosmic rays (CRs) with the interstellar medium (ISM). We show that highly inhomogeneous galactic CR densities arise naturally from large scale drift effects and the inhomogeneous distribution of CR sources. In particular, the CR density in the Galactic Center region (where the ISM density is maximal) could be an order of magnitude larger than the local CR density. Hence, the expected diffuse flux of neutrinos from the Galactic Center region becomes enhanced and could be detected at energies above $\sim 10^4$ GeV in a km${}^3$-size neutrino telescope within 10 years of operation. The galactic anisotropy, which is the main signature of this flux, allows to discriminate this signal from other possible extraterrestrial diffuse fluxes of high energy neutrinos.

20 pages, 5 figures; added/removed references and expanded discussions. To appear in JCAP

References in corpus (8)

• Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (in "The Review of Particle Properties" 2004)
• Revealing the Supernova--Gamma-Ray Burst Connection with TeV Neutrinos
• Diffusion and drift of cosmic rays in highly turbulent magnetic fields
• The AGASA/SUGAR Anisotropies and TeV Gamma Rays from the Galactic Center: A Possible Signature of Extremely High-energy Neutrons
• Shower Power: Isolating the Prompt Atmospheric Neutrino Flux Using Electron Neutrinos
• Sgr A East as a possible high energy neutron factory in the Galactic Centre
• Neutrinos from the Galactic Center in the Light of its Gamma-Ray Detection at TeV Energy
• Measuring diffuse neutrino fluxes with IceCube

Cited by in corpus (10)

• IceCube-Gen2: The Window to the Extreme Universe
• Guaranteed and Prospective Galactic TeV Neutrino Sources
• PeV neutrinos from interactions of cosmic rays with the interstellar medium in the Galaxy
• Pinning down the cosmic ray source mechanism with new IceCube data
• Study of TeV Neutrinos with Upward Showering Muons in Super-Kamiokande
• Diffuse Neutrino and Gamma-ray Emissions of the Galaxy above the TeV
• On the IceCube spectral anomaly
• High energy neutrino astronomy using upward-going muons in Super-Kamiokande-I
• Constraints to a Galactic Component of the Ice Cube cosmic neutrino flux from ANTARES
• Searching for Neutrinos from WIMP Annihilations in the Galactic Stellar Disk