Search for Point Sources of High Energy Neutrinos with Final Data from AMANDA-II

TL;DR

This study used 3.8 years of AMANDA-II data to search for high-energy neutrino point sources in the Northern Sky, setting the most stringent flux limits to date but finding no significant sources.

Contribution

It provides the first comprehensive search for neutrino point sources with AMANDA-II data and establishes the most restrictive flux limits for such sources to date.

Findings

No neutrino point sources detected.

Set the most stringent upper limits on neutrino fluxes.

Analyzed 3.8 years of data with 6595 candidate events.

Abstract

We present a search for point sources of high energy neutrinos using 3.8 years of data recorded by AMANDA-II during 2000-2006. After reconstructing muon tracks and applying selection criteria designed to optimally retain neutrino-induced events originating in the Northern Sky, we arrive at a sample of 6595 candidate events, predominantly from atmospheric neutrinos with primary energy 100 GeV to 8 TeV. Our search of this sample reveals no indications of a neutrino point source. We place the most stringent limits to date on $E^{-2}$ neutrino fluxes from points in the Northern Sky, with an average upper limit of $E^{2}\Phi_{\nu_{\mu} + \nu_{\tau}} \le$ 5.2 $\times$ 10$^{-11}$ TeV cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ on the sum of $\nu_{\mu}$ and $\nu_{\tau}$ fluxes, assumed equal, over the energy range from 1.9 TeV to 2.5 PeV.