Quantum Black Holes from Cosmic Rays

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential for cosmic ray experiments to detect tiny, non-thermal black holes with TeV-scale masses produced by ultra high energy cosmic rays or neutrinos impacting Earth's atmosphere, which decay instantly into back-to-back particles.

Contribution

It proposes a method to identify TeV-scale black holes produced in cosmic ray interactions, highlighting their unique decay signatures for detection.

Findings

Black holes could be produced if the Planck scale is in the TeV range.

Decay signatures involve two back-to-back particles detectable as simultaneous showers.

Detection depends on the angles of emitted particles relative to the center of mass direction.

Abstract

We investigate the possibility for cosmic ray experiments to discover non-thermal small black holes with masses in the TeV range. Such black holes would result due to the impact between ultra high energy cosmic rays or neutrinos with nuclei from the upper atmosphere and decay instantaneously. They could be produced copiously if the Planck scale is in the few TeV region. As their masses are close to the Planck scale, these holes would typically decay into two particles emitted back-to-back. Depending on the angles between the emitted particles with respect to the center of mass direction of motion, it is possible for the simultaneous showers to be measured by the detectors.