Expectations for high energy diffuse galactic neutrinos for different cosmic ray distributions

TL;DR

This paper estimates the diffuse high energy neutrino flux from our Galaxy based on various cosmic ray distribution models, analyzing its detectability and implications for cosmic ray propagation.

Contribution

It introduces a range of models for cosmic ray distribution in the Galaxy to predict the diffuse neutrino flux and assesses the potential to distinguish this galactic component in IceCube data.

Findings

A significant excess from the galactic plane would suggest higher cosmic ray density in the inner Galaxy.

Different cosmic ray distribution models lead to varying predictions for neutrino flux.

Detection of the galactic component could inform cosmic ray propagation theories.

Abstract

The interaction of cosmic rays with the gas contained in our Galaxy is a guaranteed source of diffuse high energy neutrinos. We provide expectations for this component by considering different assumptions for the cosmic ray distribution in the Galaxy which are intended to cover the large uncertainty in cosmic ray propagation models. We calculate the angular dependence of the diffuse galactic neutrino flux and the corresponding rate of High Energy Starting Events in IceCube by including the effect of detector angular resolution. Moreover we discuss the possibility to discriminate the galactic component from an isotropic astrophysical flux. We show that a statistically significant excess of events from the galactic plane in present IceCube data would favour models in which the cosmic ray density in the inner galactic region is much larger than its local value, thus bringing relevant information on the cosmic ray radial distribution.