Searching for High Energy Diffuse Astrophysical Muon Neutrinos with IceCube

TL;DR

This paper discusses the search for high-energy astrophysical muon neutrinos using IceCube data, emphasizing energy estimation methods to distinguish potential astrophysical signals from atmospheric background.

Contribution

It introduces a methodology for estimating neutrino energy in IceCube and applies it to early data to search for astrophysical neutrinos.

Findings

Initial analysis with 2008-2009 data set constraints on astrophysical neutrino flux.

Development of energy estimation techniques for neutrino-induced leptons.

No definitive detection of astrophysical neutrinos yet, but improved analysis methods.

Abstract

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a 1 $km^{3}$ detector currently under construction at the South Pole. Searching for high energy neutrinos from unresolved astrophysical sources is one of the main analysis strategies used in the search for astrophysical neutrinos with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. A hard energy spectrum of neutrinos from isotropically distributed astrophysical sources could contribute to form a detectable signal above the atmospheric neutrino background. A reliable method of estimating the energy of the neutrino-induced lepton is crucial for identifying astrophysical neutrinos. An analysis is underway using data from the half completed detector taken during its 2008-2009 science run.