Search for a diffuse flux of astrophysical muon neutrinos with the IceCube 59-string configuration

M.G. Aartsen; R. Abbasi; M. Ackermann; J. Admas; J.A. Aguilar; M. Ahlers; D. Altmann; C. Arguelles; T.C. Arlen; J. Auffenberg; X. Bai; M. Baker; Subir Sarkar; David Jason Koskinen; Michael James Larson

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.89.062007

Search for a diffuse flux of astrophysical muon neutrinos with the IceCube 59-string configuration

M.G. Aartsen, R. Abbasi, M. Ackermann, J. Admas, J.A. Aguilar, M. Ahlers, D. Altmann, C. Arguelles, T.C. Arlen, J. Auffenberg, X. Bai, M. Baker, Subir Sarkar, David Jason Koskinen, Michael James Larson

95 Citations (Scopus)

380 Downloads (Pure)

Abstract

A search for high-energy neutrinos was performed using data collected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory from May 2009 to May 2010, when the array was running in its 59-string configuration. The data sample was optimized to contain muon neutrino induced events with a background contamination of atmospheric muons of less than 1%. These data, which are dominated by atmospheric neutrinos, are analyzed with a global likelihood fit to search for possible contributions of prompt atmospheric and astrophysical neutrinos, neither of which have yet been identified. Such signals are expected to follow a harder energy spectrum than conventional atmospheric neutrinos. In addition, the zenith angle distribution differs for astrophysical and atmospheric signals. A global fit of the reconstructed energies and directions of observed events is performed, including possible neutrino flux contributions for an astrophysical signal and atmospheric backgrounds as well as systematic uncertainties of the experiment and theoretical predictions. The best fit yields an astrophysical signal flux for νμ+ν̄μ of E2·Φ(E)=0.25×10-8GeVcm-2s-1sr-1, and a zero prompt component. Although the sensitivity of this analysis for astrophysical neutrinos surpasses the Waxman and Bahcall upper bound, the experimental limit at 90% confidence level is a factor of 1.5 above at a flux of E2·Φ(E)=1.44×10-8GeVcm-2s-1sr-1.

Original language	English
Article number	062007
Journal	Physical Review D (Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology)
Volume	89
Number of pages	19
ISSN	1550-7998
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.89.062007
Publication status	Published - 25 Mar 2014

Access to Document

10.1103/PhysRevD.89.062007

PRD89(2014)062007Submitted manuscript, 1.15 MB

http://inspirehep.net/record/1266412

Cite this

Aartsen, M. G., Abbasi, R., Ackermann, M., Admas, J., Aguilar, J. A., Ahlers, M., Altmann, D., Arguelles, C., Arlen, T. C., Auffenberg, J., Bai, X., Baker, M., Sarkar, S., Koskinen, D. J., & Larson, M. J. (2014). Search for a diffuse flux of astrophysical muon neutrinos with the IceCube 59-string configuration. Physical Review D (Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology), 89, [062007]. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.89.062007

Aartsen, MG, Abbasi, R, Ackermann, M, Admas, J, Aguilar, JA, Ahlers, M, Altmann, D, Arguelles, C, Arlen, TC, Auffenberg, J, Bai, X, Baker, M, Sarkar, S, Koskinen, DJ & Larson, MJ 2014, 'Search for a diffuse flux of astrophysical muon neutrinos with the IceCube 59-string configuration', Physical Review D (Particles, Fields, Gravitation and Cosmology), vol. 89, 062007. https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.89.062007

@article{10fc3c90a280415d801f22ccf060d16d,

title = "Search for a diffuse flux of astrophysical muon neutrinos with the IceCube 59-string configuration",

abstract = "A search for high-energy neutrinos was performed using data collected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory from May 2009 to May 2010, when the array was running in its 59-string configuration. The data sample was optimized to contain muon neutrino induced events with a background contamination of atmospheric muons of less than 1%. These data, which are dominated by atmospheric neutrinos, are analyzed with a global likelihood fit to search for possible contributions of prompt atmospheric and astrophysical neutrinos, neither of which have yet been identified. Such signals are expected to follow a harder energy spectrum than conventional atmospheric neutrinos. In addition, the zenith angle distribution differs for astrophysical and atmospheric signals. A global fit of the reconstructed energies and directions of observed events is performed, including possible neutrino flux contributions for an astrophysical signal and atmospheric backgrounds as well as systematic uncertainties of the experiment and theoretical predictions. The best fit yields an astrophysical signal flux for νμ+{\=ν}μ of E2·Φ(E)=0.25×10-8GeVcm-2s-1sr-1, and a zero prompt component. Although the sensitivity of this analysis for astrophysical neutrinos surpasses the Waxman and Bahcall upper bound, the experimental limit at 90% confidence level is a factor of 1.5 above at a flux of E2·Φ(E)=1.44×10-8GeVcm-2s-1sr-1.",

author = "M.G. Aartsen and R. Abbasi and M. Ackermann and J. Admas and J.A. Aguilar and M. Ahlers and D. Altmann and C. Arguelles and T.C. Arlen and J. Auffenberg and X. Bai and M. Baker and Subir Sarkar and Koskinen, {David Jason} and Larson, {Michael James}",

year = "2014",

month = mar,

day = "25",

doi = "10.1103/PhysRevD.89.062007",

language = "English",

volume = "89",

journal = "Physical Review D",

issn = "2470-0010",

publisher = "American Physical Society",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Search for a diffuse flux of astrophysical muon neutrinos with the IceCube 59-string configuration

AU - Aartsen, M.G.

AU - Abbasi, R.

AU - Ackermann, M.

AU - Admas, J.

AU - Aguilar, J.A.

AU - Ahlers, M.

AU - Altmann, D.

AU - Arguelles, C.

AU - Arlen, T.C.

AU - Auffenberg, J.

AU - Bai, X.

AU - Baker, M.

AU - Sarkar, Subir

AU - Koskinen, David Jason

AU - Larson, Michael James

PY - 2014/3/25

Y1 - 2014/3/25

N2 - A search for high-energy neutrinos was performed using data collected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory from May 2009 to May 2010, when the array was running in its 59-string configuration. The data sample was optimized to contain muon neutrino induced events with a background contamination of atmospheric muons of less than 1%. These data, which are dominated by atmospheric neutrinos, are analyzed with a global likelihood fit to search for possible contributions of prompt atmospheric and astrophysical neutrinos, neither of which have yet been identified. Such signals are expected to follow a harder energy spectrum than conventional atmospheric neutrinos. In addition, the zenith angle distribution differs for astrophysical and atmospheric signals. A global fit of the reconstructed energies and directions of observed events is performed, including possible neutrino flux contributions for an astrophysical signal and atmospheric backgrounds as well as systematic uncertainties of the experiment and theoretical predictions. The best fit yields an astrophysical signal flux for νμ+ν̄μ of E2·Φ(E)=0.25×10-8GeVcm-2s-1sr-1, and a zero prompt component. Although the sensitivity of this analysis for astrophysical neutrinos surpasses the Waxman and Bahcall upper bound, the experimental limit at 90% confidence level is a factor of 1.5 above at a flux of E2·Φ(E)=1.44×10-8GeVcm-2s-1sr-1.

AB - A search for high-energy neutrinos was performed using data collected by the IceCube Neutrino Observatory from May 2009 to May 2010, when the array was running in its 59-string configuration. The data sample was optimized to contain muon neutrino induced events with a background contamination of atmospheric muons of less than 1%. These data, which are dominated by atmospheric neutrinos, are analyzed with a global likelihood fit to search for possible contributions of prompt atmospheric and astrophysical neutrinos, neither of which have yet been identified. Such signals are expected to follow a harder energy spectrum than conventional atmospheric neutrinos. In addition, the zenith angle distribution differs for astrophysical and atmospheric signals. A global fit of the reconstructed energies and directions of observed events is performed, including possible neutrino flux contributions for an astrophysical signal and atmospheric backgrounds as well as systematic uncertainties of the experiment and theoretical predictions. The best fit yields an astrophysical signal flux for νμ+ν̄μ of E2·Φ(E)=0.25×10-8GeVcm-2s-1sr-1, and a zero prompt component. Although the sensitivity of this analysis for astrophysical neutrinos surpasses the Waxman and Bahcall upper bound, the experimental limit at 90% confidence level is a factor of 1.5 above at a flux of E2·Φ(E)=1.44×10-8GeVcm-2s-1sr-1.

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevD.89.062007

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevD.89.062007

M3 - Journal article

SN - 2470-0010

VL - 89

JO - Physical Review D

JF - Physical Review D

M1 - 062007

ER -

Search for a diffuse flux of astrophysical muon neutrinos with the IceCube 59-string configuration

Abstract

Access to Document

Fingerprint

Cite this