Ultra-high energy neutrinos at the Pierre Auger Observatory

THE PIERRE AUGER COLLABORATION (AUTOR 434 DE 474); M. TUEROS

Rio de Janeiro

Conferencia; 33rd International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2013); 2013

International Union of Pure and Applied Physics (IUPAP)

Neutrinos in the sub-EeV energy range and above can be detected with the Surface Detector array (SD) of the Pierre Auger Observatory. They can be identified through the broad time-structure of the signals expected to be induced in the SD stations. The identification can be efficiently done for neutrinos of all flavours interacting in the atmosphere at large zenith angles, typically above 60◦ (downward-going), as well as for Earth-skimming neutrino interactions in the case of tau neutrinos (upward-going). The wide angular range calls naturally for three sets of identification criteria designed to search for downward-going neutrinos in the zenith angle bins 60◦ − 75◦ and 75◦ − 90◦ as well as for upward-going neutrinos. In this contribution the three searches are combined to give a single limit, providing, in the absence of candidates in data from 1 January 04 until 31 December 12, an updated and stringent limit to the diffuse flux of ultra-high energy neutrinos.