High energy neutrinos

TL;DR

This paper analyzes the sources and characteristics of high energy neutrinos, including diffuse flux components and solar neutrinos, proposing that solar neutrinos could explain IceCube's observations due to their steep spectrum and lack of gamma rays.

Contribution

It introduces the potential role of solar neutrinos in explaining IceCube's high energy neutrino data, highlighting their correlation with cosmic-ray shadows and unique spectral features.

Findings

Solar neutrino flux is larger than atmospheric neutrinos.

Solar neutrinos have a steep spectrum with no associated gammas.

Correlation between solar neutrinos and cosmic-ray shadow observed.

Abstract

We describe several components in the diffuse flux of high energy neutrinos reaching the Earth and discuss whether they could explain IceCube's observations. Then we focus on TeV neutrinos from the Sun. We show that this solar neutrino flux is correlated with the cosmic-ray shadow of the Sun measured by HAWC, and we find that it is much larger than the flux of atmospheric neutrinos. Stars like our Sun provide neutrinos with a very steep spectrum and no associated gammas. We argue that this is the type of contribution that could solve the main puzzle presented by the high energy IceCube data.