arXiv subjects

V. Berezinsky

Publications and source records attributed to V. Berezinsky.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

arXiv2004

Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays Spectra in Top-Down models

In this work we present a detailed computation of the spectra of UHECR in the top-down scenario. We compare the spectra of hadrons obtained by two different methods in QCD and supersymmetric (SUSY) QCD with large primary energies $\sqrt{s}$ up to $10^{16}$ GeV. The two methods discussed are a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation and the evolution of the hadron fragmentation functions as described by the Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi (DGLAP) equations. The hadron spectra obtained by the two methods agree fairly well in the interesting energy range $10^{-5}M_{X}<E<0.3M_{X}$ ($M_X$ is the energy scale of the process $M_{X}\ge 10^{12}$ GeV). We have also computed the spectra of photons, neutrinos and nucleons obtaining a good agreement with other published results. The consistency of the spectra computed by different methods allows us to consider the spectral shape as a signature of the production model for UHECR, such as the decay of super heavy relic particles or topological defects.

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arXiv2004

Diffusive propagation of UHECR and the propagation theorem

We present a detailed analytical study of the propagation of ultra high energy (UHE) particles in extragalactic magnetic fields. The crucial parameter which affects the diffuse spectrum is the separation between sources. In the case of a uniform distribution of sources with a separation between them much smaller than all characteristic propagation lengths, the diffuse spectrum of UHE particles has a {\em universal} form, independent of the mode of propagation. This statement has a status of theorem. The proof is obtained using the particle number conservation during propagation, and also using the kinetic equation for the propagation of UHE particles. This theorem can be also proved with the help of the diffusion equation. In particular, it is shown numerically, how the diffuse fluxes converge to this universal spectrum, when the separation between sources diminishes. We study also the analytic solution of the diffusion equation in weak and strong magnetic fields with energy losses taken into account. In the case of strong magnetic fields and for a separation between sources large enough, the GZK cutoff can practically disappear, as it has been found early in numerical simulations. In practice, however, the source luminosities required are too large for this possibility.

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arXiv2004

Fragmentation functions in SUSY QCD and UHECR spectra produced in top-down models

We present results from two different methods for the calculation of hadron spectra in QCD and SUSY QCD with large primary energies $\sqrt{s}$ up to $10^{16}$ GeV. The two methods considered are a Monte Carlo (MC) simulation and the evolution of fragmentation functions described by the Dokshitzer-Gribov-Lipatov-Altarelli-Parisi (DGLAP) equations. We find that the pion, nucleon and all-hadron spectra calculated with the two methods agree well. The MC simulation is performed with new hadronization functions (in comparison with our previous work), motivated by low-energy ($\sqrt s < M_Z$) data and DGLAP. The hadron spectra calculated with both sets of hadronization functions agree well, which indicates that our method for calculating the hadronization function works successfully. The small difference in the calculated hadron spectra characterizes the uncertainties of this method. We calculate also the spectra of photons, neutrinos and nucleons and compare them with other published results. The agreement is good for all $x$ from $\sim 10^{-5}$ up to $x\leq 0.3$. The consistency of the spectra calculated by different methods allows to consider the spectral shape as a signature of models with decays or annihilations of superheavy particles, such as topological defects or superheavy DM. The UHECR spectra from these sources are calculated.

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arXiv2004

Small-scale clumps in the galactic halo and dark matter annihilation

Production of small-scale DM clumps is studied in the standard cosmological scenario with an inflation-produced primeval fluctuation spectrum. Special attention is given to three following problems: (i) The mass spectrum of small-scale clumps with $M \lesssim 10^3 M_{\odot}$ is calculated with tidal destruction of the clumps taken into account within the hierarchical model of clump structure. Only 0.1 - 0.5% of small clumps survive the stage of tidal destruction in each logarithmic mass interval $Δ\ln M\sim1$. (ii) The mass distribution of clumps has a cutoff at $M_{\rm min}$ due to diffusion of DM particles out of a fluctuation and free streaming at later stage. $M_{\rm min}$ is a model dependent quantity. In the case the neutralino, considered as a pure bino, is a DM particle, $M_{\rm min} \sim 10^{-8} M_{\odot}$. (iii) The evolution of density profile in a DM clump does not result in the singularity because of formation of the core under influence of tidal interaction. The radius of the core is $R_c \sim 0.1 R$, where $R$ is radius of the clump. The applications for annihilation of DM particles in the Galactic halo are studied. The number density of clumps as a function of their mass, radius and distance to the Galactic center is presented. The enhancement of annihilation signal due to clumpiness, valid for arbitrary DM particles, is calculated. In spite of small survival probability, the annihilation signal in most cases is dominated by clumps. For observationally preferable value of index or primeval fluctuation spectrum $n_p \approx 1$, the enhancement of annihilation signal is described by factor 2 - 5 for different density profiles in a clump.

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arXiv2003

Signatures of Protons in UHECR

We demonstrate that the energy spectra of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) as observed by AGASA, Fly's Eye, HiRes and Yakutsk detectors, have the imprints of UHE proton interaction with the CMB radiation as the dip centered at $E\sim 1\times 10^{19}$ eV, beginning of the GZK cutoff, and very good agreement with calculated spectrum shape. This conclusion about proton composition agrees with recent HiRes data on elongation rate that support the proton composition at $E\geq 1\times 10^{18}$ eV. The visible bump in the spectrum at $E \sim 4\times 10^{19}$ eV is not caused by pile-up protons, but is an artifact of multiplying the spectrum by $E^3$. We argue that these data, combined with small-angle clustering and correlation with AGN (BL Lacs), point to the AGN model of UHECR origin at energies $E \leq 1\times 10^{20}$ eV. The events at higher energies and the excess of the events at $E \geq 1\times 10^{20}$ eV, which is observed by AGASA (but absent in the HiRes data) must be explained by another component of UHECR, e.g. by UHECR from superheavy dark matter.

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arXiv2002

Signatures of AGN model for UHECR

We demonstrate that the energy spectra of Ultra High Energy Cosmic rays (UHECR) as observed by AGASA, Fly's Eye, HiRes and Yakutsk detectors, have the imprints of UHE proton interaction with the CMB radiation in the form of the dip at $E\sim 1\times 10^{19}$~ eV, of the beginning of the GZK cutoff, and of very good agreement with calculated spectrum shape. We argue that these data, combined with small-angle clustering and correlation with AGN (BL Lacs), point to the AGN model of UHECR origin at energies $E \lsim 1\times 10^{20}$ eV. The excess of the events at $E \gsim 1\times 10^{20}$ eV, which is observed by AGASA (but absent in HiRes data) can be explained by another component of UHECR, e.g. by UHECR from superheavy dark matter.

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arXiv2002

Electroweak jet cascading in the decay of superheavy particles

We study decays of superheavy particles $X$ into leptons. We show that they initiate cascades similar to QCD parton jets, if $m_X\gsim 10^6$ GeV. Electroweak cascading is studied and the energy spectra of the produced leptons are calculated in the framework of a broken SU(2) model of weak interactions. As application, important for the Z-burst model for ultrahigh energy cosmic rays, we consider decays of superheavy particles coupled on tree-level only to neutrinos and derive stringent limit for these decays from the observed diffuse extragalactic $γ$-ray flux.

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arXiv2002

Ultra high energy cosmic rays from extragalactic astrophysical sources: energy losses and spectra

The energy losses and spectra of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) are calculated for protons as primary particles. The attention is given to the energy losses due to electron-positron production in collisions with the microwave 2.73 K photons. The energy spectra are calculated for several models, which differ by production spectra and by source distribution, namely: (i) Uniform distribution of the sources with steep generation spectra with indices 2.4 - 2.7, with cosmological evolution and without it. In this case it is possible to fit the shape of the observed spectrum up to 8.10^{19} eV, but the required CR emissivity is too high and the GZK cutoff is present. (ii) Uniform distribution of the sources with flat generation spectrum dE/E^2 which is relevant to GRBs. The calculated spectrum is in disagreement with the observed one. The agreement at E\lesssim 8.10^{19} eV can be reached using a complex generation spectrum, but the required CR emissivity is three orders of magnitude higher than that of GRBs, and the predicted spectrum has the GZK cutoff. (iii) The case of local enhancement within region of size 10 - 30 Mpc with overdensity given by factor 3- 30. The overdensity larger than 10 is needed to eliminate the GZK cutoff.

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arXiv2001

Extensive Air Showers from Ultra High Energy Gluinos

We study the proposal that the cosmic ray primaries above the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) cutoff are gluino-containing hadrons ($\tilde g$-hadrons). We describe the interaction of $\tilde g$-hadrons with nucleons in the framework of the Gribov-Regge approach using a modified version of the hadronic interaction model QGSJET for the generations of Extensive Air Showers (EAS). There are two mass windows marginally allowed for gluinos: $m_{\tilde g}\lsim 3$ GeV and $25\lsim m_{\tilde g}\lsim 35$ GeV. Gluino-containing hadrons corresponding to the second window produce EAS very different from the observed ones. Light $\tilde g$-hadrons corresponding to the first gluino window produce EAS similar to those initiated by protons, and only future detectors can marginally distinguish them. We propose a beam-dump accelerator experiment to search for $\tilde g$-hadrons in this mass window. We emphasize the importance of this experiment: it can discover (or exclude) the light gluino and its role as a cosmic ray primary at ultra high energies.

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arXiv2001

Electron-neutrino survival probability from solar-neutrino data

With SNO data on electron-neutrino flux from the sun, it is possible to derive the $ν_e$ survival probability $P_{ee}(E)$ from existing experimental data of Super-Kamiokande, gallium experiments and Homestake. The combined data of SNO and Super-Kamiokande provide boron $ν_e$ flux and the total flux of all active boron neutrinos, giving thus $P_{ee}(E)$ for boron neutrinos. The Homestake detector, after subtraction of the signal from boron neutrinos, gives the flux of Be+CNO neutrinos, and $P_{ee}$ for the corresponding energy interval, if the produced flux is taken from the Standard Solar Model (SSM). Gallium detectors, GALLEX, SAGE and GNO, detect additionally pp-neutrinos. The pp-flux can be calculated subtracting from the gallium signal the rate due to boron, beryllium and CNO neutrinos. The ratio of the measured $pp$-neutrino flux to that predicted by the SSM gives the survival probability for $pp$-neutrinos. Comparison with theoretical survival probabilities shows that the best (among known models) fit is given by LMA and LOW solutions.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2001

Exact analysis of the combined data of SNO and Super-Kamiokande

Comparison of solar-neutrino signals in SNO and Super-Kamiokande (SK) detectors results in discovery of $ν_e \to ν_{μ,τ}$ oscillations at level $3.1 - 3.3 σ$ \cite{SNO}. This comparison involves the assumption of neutrino spectrum and a choice for the thresholds of detection in both experiments. In this Letter we obtain an exact formula for the comparison of the signals which is valid for arbitrary spectra and thresholds. We find that the no-oscillation hypothesis is excluded at 3.3$σ$. If the energy-dependent component of the survival probability for electron neutrinos is small as compared with the average value, i.e. in the case of small distortion of the observed spectrum, the oscillation hypothesis can also be tested to similar accuracy. The oscillation to sterile neutrino only, is excluded at $3.3 σ$ level, and oscillation to active neutrinos is confirmed at the same level, though with some reservations.

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arXiv2001

Puzzles in astrophysics in the past and present

About 400 years have passed since the great discoveries by Galilei, Kepler and Newton, but astronomy still remains an important source of discoveries in physics. They start with puzzles, with phenomena difficult to explain, and which in fact need for explanation the new physics. Are such puzzles existing now? There are at least three candidates: absence of absorption of TeV gamma radiation in extragalactic space (violation of Lorentz invariance?), absence of GZK cutoff in the spectrum of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (new particle physics?), tremendous energy (up to $10^{54}$ ergs) released in Gamma Ray Bursts during a time scale of a second (collapsing stars or sources of a new type?). Do these puzzles really exist? A critical review of these phenomena is given.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2001

Status of the Gribov-Pontecorvo Solution to the Solar Neutrino Problem

We discuss the status of the Gribov-Pontecorvo (GP) solution to the solar neutrino problem. This solution naturally appears in bimaximal neutrino mixing and reduces the solar and atmospheric neutrino problems to vacuum oscillations of three active neutrinos. The GP solution predicts an energy-independent suppression of the solar neutrino flux. It is disfavoured by the rate of the Homestake detector, but its statistical significance greatly improves, when the chlorine rate and the boron neutrino flux are slightly rescaled, and when the Super-Kamiokande neutrino spectrum is included in the analysis. Our results show that rescaling of the chlorine signal by only 10% is sufficient for the GP solution to exist, if the boron-neutrino flux is taken 10 -- 20% lower than the SSM prediction. The regions allowed for the GP solution in the parameter space are found and observational signatures of this solution are discussed.

hep-ph↗

arXiv2001

Gamma ray bursts from superconducting cosmic strings

Cusps of superconducting strings can serve as GRB engines. A powerful beamed pulse of electromagnetic radiation from a cusp produces a jet of accelerated particles, whose propagation is terminated by the shock responsible for GRB. A single free parameter, the string scale of symmetry breaking $η\sim 10^{14} GeV$, together with reasonable assumptions about the magnitude of cosmic magnetic fields and the fraction of volume that they occupy, explains the GRB rate, duration and fluence, as well as the observed ranges of these quantities. The wiggles on the string can drive the short-time structures of GRB. This model predicts that GRBs are accompanied by strong bursts of gravitational radiation which should be detectable by LIGO, VIRGO and LISA detectors. Another prediction is the diffuse X- and gamma-ray radiation at 8 MeV - 100 GeV with a spectrum and flux comparable to the observed. The weakness of the model is the prediction of too low rate of GRBs from galaxies, as compared with observations. This suggests that either the capture rate of string loops by galaxies is underestimated in our model, or that GRBs from cusps are responsible for only a subset of the observed GRBs not associated with galaxies.

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arXiv2001

Superconducting cosmic strings as gamma ray burst engines

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arXiv2000

Monte Carlo simulation for jet fragmentation in SUSY-QCD

We present results from a new Monte Carlo simulation for jet fragmentation in QCD and SUSY QCD for large primary energies $\sqrt s$ up to $10^{16}$ GeV. In the case of SUSY QCD the simulation takes into account not only gluons and quarks as cascading particles, but also their supersymmetric partners. A new model-independent hadronization scheme is developed, in which the hadronization functions are found from LEP data. An interesting feature of SUSY QCD is the prediction of a sizeable flux of the lightest supersymmetric particles (LSPs), if R-parity is conserved. About 10% of the jet energy is transferred to LSPs which, owing to their harder spectra, constitute an important part of the spectra for large $x=E/E_{jet}$. Spectra of protons and of secondary particles, photons and neutrinos, are also calculated. These results have implications for the decay of superheavy particles with masses up to the GUT scale, which have been suggested as a source of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays.

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arXiv2000

Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays from Cosmological Relics

The current status of origin of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) is reviewed, with emphasis given to elementary particle solutions to UHECR problem, namely to Topological Defects and Super-Heavy Dark Matter (SHDM) particles. The relic superheavy particles are very efficiently produced at inflation. Being protected by gauge discrete symmetries, they can be long lived. They are clustering in the Galactic halo, producing thus UHECR without Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin cutoff. Topological Defects can naturally produce particles with energies as observed and much higher, but in most cases fail to produce the observed fluxes. Cosmic necklaces, monopoles connected by strings and vortons are identified as most plausible sources. The latter two of them are also clustering in the halo and their observational predictions are identical to those of SHDM particles.

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arXiv1999

Vacuum oscillations and excess of high energy solar neutrino events observed in Superkamiokande

The excess of solar-neutrino events above 13 MeV that has been recently observed by Superkamiokande can be explained by the vacuum oscillation solution to the Solar Neutrino Problem (SNP). If the boron neutrino flux is 20% smaller than the standard solar model (SSM) prediction and the chlorine signal is assumed 30% (or 3.4 sigmas) higher than the measured one, there exists a vacuum oscillation solution to SNP that reproduces both the observed spectrum of the recoil electrons, including the high energy distortion, and the other measured neutrino rates. The most distinct signature of this solution is a semi-annual seasonal variation of the Be7 neutrino flux with maximal amplitude. While the temporal series of the GALLEX and Homestake signals suggest that such a seasonal variation could be present, future detectors (BOREXINO, LENS and probably GNO) will be able to test it.

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