Signals of ‘‘new physics’’ in high-energy cosmic-ray interactions

Abstract

In some composite models of quarks and leptons, leptons are expected to develop strong interactions at high energies. This hypothesis can be tested by studying the absorption of high-energy particles emitted by point sources in the sky on the cosmic microwave background. Data on Cygnus X-3 exhibit an anomaly in the absorption. A plausible interpretation of the anomaly is that some of the interactions are caused by neutrinos. We infer that the cross section of neutrino-nucleon interactions is approximately 6 mb at energies of a few PeV, significantly exceeding the prediction of the standard model. PACS numbers: 98.60.Df, 12.50.Ch, 13.15.Em, 97.80.Jp 844

Research in theoretical physics

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“…First, we have to get an idea of the cross section.of the new interaction. This was already done in a pr¢_vious paper [14]." There we found that at _Recent estimates of magnetic ti('hls within the locaJcluster suggest that this is a fair assumption; we _hank Rosemary Wyse for poi.ting this out to us.…”

“…data [14] on CYG X-3 suggests that the appa_vnt distance of thai source al. E _ 2PeV is about half of the true distance.…”

“…Th0 sllrl)ri._, c_lllo wtloll wo llsed this technique to detcruline the (tl-_/utrcnt di,stance at PeV energies of tllo best-klmwn point source, viz. C,Y(I_X-3 [14].…”

“…tlie nltlllil)licities and the transverse monlentum distributions are assumed to be (,llergy indet)en(lent, Sln ref. [14] is a rather sophisticated one; t_bstracting the properties of a high energy interaction from some I)rototype composite model, we follow the hadronization process by a MC technique. Similarly, tile development of the shower after the first intera.ction is described using the best techniques a.va.ibtble, by simulating both tile hadronic and electromagnetic components.…”