Flux predictions of high-energy neutrinos from pulsars

Young, rapidly rotating neutron stars could accelerate ions from their surfaces to energies of ∼1 PeV. If protons reach such energies, they will produce pions (with low probability) through resonant scattering with X-rays from the stellar surface. The pions subsequently decay to produce muon neutrin...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Monthly notices of the Royal Astronomical Society 2006-09, Vol.371 (1), p.375-379
Main Authors: Link, Bennett, Burgio, Fiorella
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Astronomical research
Astronomy
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
Kinematics
magnetic fields
Neutrinos
Pulsars
pulsars: general
stars: neutron
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Summary:Young, rapidly rotating neutron stars could accelerate ions from their surfaces to energies of ∼1 PeV. If protons reach such energies, they will produce pions (with low probability) through resonant scattering with X-rays from the stellar surface. The pions subsequently decay to produce muon neutrinos. Here, we calculate the energy spectrum of muon neutrinos, and estimate the event rates at Earth. The spectrum consists of a sharp rise at ∼50 TeV, corresponding to the onset of the resonance, above which the flux drops with neutrino energy as ε−2ν up to an upper energy cut-off that is determined by either kinematics or the maximum energy to which protons are accelerated. We estimate event rates as high as 10–100 km−2 yr−1 from some candidates, a flux that would be easily detected by IceCube. Lack of detection would allow constraints on the energetics of the poorly understood pulsar magnetosphere.
ISSN:0035-8711
1365-2966
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2966.2006.10665.x