Possible detection of relic neutrinos and their mass

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential detection of relic neutrinos through the Z-burst mechanism, linking ultrahigh energy cosmic neutrinos with cosmic ray observations to estimate neutrino mass.

Contribution

It proposes using the Z-burst scenario to infer the mass of the heaviest relic neutrino from cosmic ray data.

Findings

Possible evidence for relic neutrinos via Z-burst signatures

Estimated neutrino mass range consistent with observations

Predicted ultrahigh energy neutrino flux needed for detection

Abstract

Recently the possibility was widely discussed that a large fraction of the highest energy cosmic rays may be decay products of Z bosons which were produced in the resonant annihilation of ultrahigh energy cosmic neutrinos on cosmological relic neutrinos. If one takes this so-called Z-burst scenario seriously, one may infer the mass of the heaviest relic neutrino as well as the necessary ultrahigh energy cosmic neutrino flux from a comparison of the predicted Z-burst spectrum with the observed cosmic ray spectrum.