arXiv subjects
Publications and source records attributed to S. Kovesi-Domokos.
We review the proposal that trans-GZK cosmic ray interactions are caused by neutrino primaries. The primaries cause excitations of strings and give rise to extensive air showers (EAS) resembling EAS induced by nuclei. We also show that in ``low scale'' string models (of characteristic energy about 70TeV) the excited string and the mini black hole pictures are equivalent.
We give a summary of the theoretical attempts to make sense of the observational data concerning the highest energy cosmic rays, (E > 3x10^{19} eV).
In a large class of models the string excitation and black hole pictures invoked as an explanation of trans-GZK cosmic ray events are equivalent. Single particle inclusive distributions are thermal at the Hagedorn temperature. The hadron multiplicities are reminiscent of multiplicities in heavy nucleus initiated interactions.
Ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) pose a problem either for particle physics or for astrophysics (or for both) by the unexpectedly high number of cosmic ray showers observed with energy above about 5x10^{19}eV, the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) cutoff. Our emphasis is on those possible solutions of the puzzle which assume that ultra high energy neutrinos travel cosmic distances. We present, in detail, a model which is based on a low energy (50 to 100 TeV) transition to a higher than four dimensional string regime. Neutrino-quark cross sections grow exponentially close to the threshold of this new scale because of the fast increase of the density of string states and effectively acquire hadronic strength.
In theories which require a space of dimension d>4, there is a natural mechanism of suppressing neutrino masses: while Standard Model fields are confined to a 3-brane, right handed neutrinos live in the bulk. Due to Kaluza-Klein excitations, the effective magnetic moments of neutrinos are enhanced. The effective magnetic moment is a monotonically growing function of the energy of the neutrino: consequently, high energy neutrinos can emit observable amounts of magnetic Cherenkov radiation. By observing the energy dependence of the magnetic Cherenkov radiation, one may be able to determine the number of compactified dimensions.
String unification at a scale of a few tens of TeV explains the existence of cosmic ray interactions beyond the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) cutoff. Trans-GZK cosmic rays are neutrinos which can penetrate the cosmic microwave background. In interactions with atmospheric nuclei they have sufficient energy for exciting string modes. We present a model for the description of such interactions and discuss the properties of the resulting extensive air showers. Presently available data on trans-GZK cosmic rays suggest a string scale around 80 TeV.
We discuss candidates for trans-GZK cosmic rays observed in a variety of detectors. Three types of primaries are represented among the abstracts submitted to this meeting: neutrin os causing a Z-burst, protons arising from the decay of ultra-heavy metastable particles and neutrinos within the framework of low scale string-like models of unification. We attempt to evaluate the relative merits of these schemes. No definite conclusion can be reached at this time. However, we point out that some schemes are more credible/predictive than others. Data to be gathered by the Pierre Auger observatories as well as orbiting detectors (OWL, Airwatch...) should be able to decide between the various schemes.
It has been conjectured that the string and unification scales may be substantially lower than previously believed, perhaps a few TeV. In scenarios of this type, orbiting detectors such OWL or AIRWATCH can observe spectacular phenomena at trans-GZK energies. We explore measurable signatures of the hypothesis that trans-GZK air showeres (``anomalous showers'') are originated by strongly interacting neutrinos. The results of a MC simulation of such air showers is described. A distinction between proton induced and ``anomalous'' showers becomes possible once a substantial sample of trans-GZK showers will be available.
It has been suggested that the characteristic energy of string models may be considerably lower than the observed Planck mass. In such schemes, the unification of interactions takes place around the string scale, perhaps as low as a few tens of TeV. Consequently, at energies above the string scale, neutrinos acquire interactions comparable in strength to strong interactions. While they can propagate through the CMBR essentially uninhibited, in interactions with nuclei in the atmosphere they induce air showers comparable to proton induced ones. We conjecture that air showers above the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) cutoff in the cosmic radiation are induced by such neutrinos. A Monte Carlo simulation shows that neutrino induced "anomalous" showers are virtually indistinguishable from proton induced ones on an event-by event basis. However, given sufficient statistics in detectors (HiRes, OWL, Auger etc.), the post-GZK showers are expected to exhibit characteristics in the fluctuation pattern allowing a distinction between proton and neutrino induced showers.
Ultrahigh energy protons in magnetic fields produce pions and thus lose energy. The mean free path of such a process is worked out for Gaussian random fields. Two cases are considered: an isotropic and a cylindrically symmetric distribution. The energy loss is proportional to E^3 ; it becomes significant for protons of energies larger than about 10^19 eV and magnetic fields of about 10^9 Gauss. For energies and magnetic fields of this magnitude, a proton injected into the magnetic field loses a substantial fraction of its initial energy due to pion production.
Cosmic rays of energies larger than the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) cutoff may be neutrinos if they acquire strong interactions due to a ``precocious unification'' of forces. A scenario for this to happen is outlined. There is no contradiction with precision measurements carried out at LEP and SLAC. Observable consequences at LHC and future neutrino detectors are discussed.
Orbiting detectors will be able to observe showers initiated by neutrinos penetrating the Earth and interacting close to their exit point. There is a correlation between the impact parameter of the incident neutrino and its energy. We study the development of upward going, neutrino induced showers in the atmosphere.
The existence of magnetic moments of neutrinos points to physics beyond the standard model. Given current upper limits, terrestrial measurements are difficult or completely unfeasible. However, estimates of transition moments can be obtained from observation of objects such as active galactic nuclei (AGN) by means of neutrino telescopes. We describe the way of estimating the magnitudes of transition moments from such observations.
The interaction of UHE neutrinos can be observed from outer space. The advantage of the proposed method is that the Earth can be used as an energy filter as well as a target. We sketch the potentials of these observations in searching for particle physics beyond the Standard Model of elementary particle interactions as well as observations of astronomical objects such as active galactic nuclei.
According to standard quantum theory, the time evolution operator of a quantum system is independent of the state of the system. One can, however, consider systems in which this is not the case: the evolution operator may depend on the density operator itself. The presence of such modifications of quantum theory can be tested in long baseline oscillation experiments.
If massive neutrinos possess magnetic moments, they can undergo spin flip in a magnetic field. The magnetic fields needed for a meaningful measurement of neutrino moments could be very high and may occur in astronomical objects such as some supernovae or active galactic nuclei: they are typically chaotic ones. We develop the general theory of the passage of neutrinos through such fields. We also develop a simple model which becomes solvable in the high energy limit. Both helicities occur with equal probability, independently of the initial distribution. Observational consequences are discussed.
If massive neutrinos possess magnetic moments, a magnetic field can cause a spin flip. In the case of Dirac neutrinos the spin flip converts an active neutrino into a sterile one and vice versa. By contrast, if neutrinos are Majorana particles, a spin flip converts them to a neutrino of a different flavor. We examine the behavior of neutrinos in a random magnetic field as it occurs, for instance, in certain astronomical objects, such as an active galactic nucleus. Both Dirac and Majorana neutrinos behave ergodically: independently of their initial density matrix, they tend towards an equipartition of the helicity states. As a result, about half of the Dirac neutrinos produced becomes sterile. For Majorana neutrinos, there will be an approximate equipartition of flavors, independently of the production mechanism.
If different species of neutrinos possess transition magnetic moments, a conversion between species can occur in the Coulomb field of a nucleus. In the case of Dirac neutrinos this corresponds to an active to sterile conversion, whereas in the case of Majorana neutrinos, the conversion takes place between active species. The conversion cross sections grow with the energy of the incident neutrino. The formalism is also applied to a new type of experiment designed to test the existence of the ``KARMEN anomaly''.