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Search indexed NASA NTRS and DOE OSTI research on propulsion, heat transfer, battery materials and energy systems. Follow report and document links to the original sources.

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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2024

Upper limits on the cosmic neutrino background from cosmic rays

Extragalactic and galactic cosmic rays scatter with the cosmic neutrino background during propagation to Earth, yielding a flux of relic neutrinos boosted to larger energies. If an overdensity of relic neutrinos is present in galaxies, and neutrinos are massive enough, this flux might be detectable by high-energy neutrino experiments. For a lightest neutrino of mass 𝑚 𝜈 ∼0.1 eV, we find an upper limit on the local relic neutrino overdensity of ∼10 13 and an upper limit on the relic neutrino overdensity at TXS 0506 + 056 of ∼10 10 . Future experiments like GRAND or IceCube-Gen2 could improve these bounds by orders of magnitude.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Probing a New Regime of Neutrino Self-Interactions with Astrophysical Neutrinos and the Relativistic Cosmic Neutrino Background

Neutrino self-interactions beyond the standard model have profound implications in astrophysics and cosmology. In this Letter, we study an uncharted scenario in which one of the three neutrino species has a mass smaller than the temperature of the cosmic neutrino background. This results in a relativistic component that significantly broadens the absorption feature on the astrophysical neutrino spectra, in contrast to the sharply peaked absorption expected in the extensively studied scenarios assuming a fully nonrelativistic cosmic neutrino background. By solving the Boltzmann equations for neutrino absorption and regeneration, we demonstrate that this mechanism provides novel sensitivity to sub-keV mediator masses, well below the traditional ∼1–100 MeV range. Future observations of the diffuse supernova neutrino background with Hyper-Kamiokande could probe coupling strengths down to 𝑔 ∼10 −8 , surpassing existing constraints by orders of magnitude. These findings open new directions for discoveries and offer crucial insights into the interplay between neutrinos and the dark sector.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2026

The Cosmic Neutrino Background is within Reach of Future Neutrino Telescopes

The cosmic neutrino background (C$ν$B) can be boosted to high energies due to scatterings with energetic cosmic rays (CRs) across cosmological scales. Previous calculations focused on neutral current incoherent and coherent elastic scatterings of cosmic-ray protons off relic neutrinos. However, charged current interactions and deep inelastic scatterings are also expected to occur, which enhances the boosted relic neutrino fluxes on Earth. Here, we compute the \textit{total} diffuse boosted cosmic neutrino background (DBC$ν$B) arising from CRs at all redshifts in the Universe, accounting for neutral current and charged current elastic and deep inelastic scatterings. We find that IceCube already places an upper limit on the cosmic neutrino background overdensity in cosmological scales of ~$\mathcal{O}(100-1000)$ at $E_ν=10^{10}$ GeV, for a lightest neutrino mass of $m_ν \gtrsim 0.1$ eV. We further show that IceCube-Gen2 could test $\mathcal{O}(1-10)$ C$ν$B overdensities, and the combination of $10$ future neutrino telescopes with similar sensitivity would allow us to test the $Λ$CDM expected C$ν$B density for a lightest neutrino mass compatible with the KATRIN bound.

Herrera, Gonzalo [MIT, MKI; Harvard U.; Virginia T↗
DOE OSTI2025

Diffuse boosted cosmic neutrino background

Energetic cosmic rays scatter off the cosmic neutrino background throughout the history of the Universe, yielding a diffuse flux of cosmic relic neutrinos boosted to high energies. We calculate this flux under different assumptions of the cosmic-ray flux spectral slope and redshift evolution. The nonobservation of the diffuse flux of boosted relic neutrinos with current high-energy neutrino experiments already excludes an average cosmic neutrino background overdensity larger than ∼10 4 over cosmological distances. We discuss the future detectability of the diffuse flux of boosted relic neutrinos in light of neutrino overdensity estimates and cosmogenic neutrino backgrounds.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2025

Neutron stars as a probe of the cosmic neutrino background

The cosmic neutrino background ( C ν B ) constitutes the last observable prediction of the standard cosmological model, which has yet to be detected directly. In this work, we show how the coherent scattering of neutrinos off dense neutron matter can lead to an additional cooling channel in neutron stars (NSs). We also include the effects of gravitational capture and boosting, but find that the cooling is efficient only in the presence of large overdensities. We further discuss the prediction of a boosted C ν B flux on Earth from nearby NSs and the potential detection prospects in the case of a future nearby galactic supernova. Although currently these ideas do not offer any detection prospects, they can be used to constrain overdensities η ≲ 10 11 – 10 14 on short length scales O ( 10 km ) . We also discuss the impact of new physics scenarios, such as long-range forces, on NS cooling through the C ν B . Published by the American Physical Society 2025

Chauhan, Garv (ORCID:0000000281298034)↗
DOE OSTI2017

Detection prospects for the Cosmic Neutrino Background using laser interferometers

The cosmic neutrino background is a key prediction of Big Bang cosmology which has not been observed yet. The movement of the earth through this neutrino bath creates a force on a pendulum, as if it were exposed to a cosmic wind. We revise here estimates for the resulting pendulum acceleration and compare it to the theoretical sensitivity of an experimental setup where the pendulum position is measured using current laser interferometer technology as employed in gravitational wave detectors. We discuss how a significant improvement of this setup can be envisaged in a micro gravity environment. The proposed setup could also function as a dark matter detector in the sub-MeV range, which currently eludes direct detection constraints.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Cosmic neutrino decoupling and its observable imprints: insights from entropic-dual transport

Abstract Very different processes characterize the decoupling of neutrinos to form the cosmic neutrino background (CνB) and the much later decoupling of photons from thermal equilibrium to form the cosmic microwave background (CMB). The CνB emerges from the fuzzy, energy-dependent neutrinosphere and encodes the physics operating in the early universe in the temperature rangeT∼ 10 MeV toT∼ 10 keV. This is the epoch where beyond Standard Model (BSM) physics, especially in the neutrino sector, may be influential in setting the light element abundances, the necessarily distorted fossil neutrino energy spectra, and other light particle energy density contributions. Here we use techniques honed in extensive CMB studies to analyze the CνB as calculated in detailed neutrino energy transport and nuclear reaction simulations of the protracted weak decoupling and primordial nucleosynthesis epochs. Our moment method, relative entropy, and differential visibility approach can leverage future high precision CMB and light element primordial abundance measurements to provide new insights into the CνB and any BSM physics it encodes. We demonstrate that the evolution of the energy spectrum of the CνB throughout the weak decoupling epoch is accurately captured in the Standard Model by only three parameters per species, a non-trivial conclusion given the deviation from thermal equilibrium and the impact of the decrease of electron-positron pairs. Furthermore, we can interpret each of the three parameters as physical characteristics of a non-equilibrium system. Though the treatment presented here makes some simplifying assumptions including ignoring neutrino flavor oscillations, the success of our compact description within the Standard Model motivates its use also in BSM scenarios. We further demonstrate how observations of primordial light element abundances can be used to place constraints on the CνB energy spectrum, deriving response functions that can be applied for general deviations from a thermal spectrum. Combined with the description of those deviations that we develop here, our methods provide a convenient and powerful framework to constrain the impact of BSM physics on the CνB.

Astronomy & Astrophysics↗
DOE OSTI2024

OSIRIS-REx constraints on local dark matter and cosmic neutrino profiles

We derive purely gravitational constraints on dark matter and cosmic neutrino profiles in the solar system using asteroid (101955) Bennu. We focus on Bennu because of its extensive tracking data and high-fidelity trajectory modeling resulting from the OSIRIS-REx mission. We find that the local density of dark matter is bound by $ρ_{DM}$ ≲ 3.3 × 10 -15 kg/m 3 ≃ 6 × 10 6 $\bar{ρ_{DM}}$, in the vicinity of ~ 1.1 au (where $\bar{ρ_{DM}}$ ≃ 0.3 GeV/cm 3 ). We show that high-precision tracking data of solar system objects can constrain cosmic neutrino overdensities relative to the Standard Model prediction n̅ν, at the level of η ≡ nν/n̅ν ≲ 1.7 × 10 11 (0.1 eV/m ν ) (Saturn), comparable to the existing bounds from KATRIN and other previous laboratory experiments (with m ν the neutrino mass). These local bounds have interesting implications for existing and future direct-detection experiments. Our constraints apply to all dark matter candidates but are particularly meaningful for scenarios including solar halos, stellar basins, and axion miniclusters, which predict overdensities in the solar system. Furthermore, introducing a DM-SM long-range fifth force with a strength tilde alphaDtimes stronger than gravity, Bennu can set a constraint on ρDM ≲ $\bar{ρ_{DM}}$(6 × 10 6 /$_{\tilde{αD}}$). These constraints can be improved in the future as the accuracy of tracking data improves, observational arcs increase, and more missions visit asteroids.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2017

Cosmic microwave background constraints on secret interactions among sterile neutrinos

Secret contact interactions among eV sterile neutrinos, mediated by a massive gauge boson X (with M X &NestedLessLess; M W ), and characterized by a gauge coupling gX, have been proposed as a mean to reconcile cosmological observations and short-baseline laboratory anomalies. We constrain this scenario using the latest Planck data on Cosmic Microwave Background anisotropies, and measurements of baryon acoustic oscillations (BAO). We consistently include the effect of secret interactions on cosmological perturbations, namely the increased density and pressure fluctuations in the neutrino fluid, and still find a severe tension between the secret interaction framework and cosmology. In fact, taking into account neutrino scattering via secret interactions, we derive our own mass bound on sterile neutrinos and find (at 95 % CL) m s < 0.82 eV or m s < 0.29 eV from Planck alone or in combination with BAO, respectively. These limits confirm the discrepancy with the laboratory anomalies. Moreover, we constrain, in the limit of contact interaction, the effective strength G X to be < 2.8 (2.0) × 10 10 G F from Planck (Planck+BAO). This result, together with the mass bound, strongly disfavours the region with M X ~ 0.1 MeV and relatively large coupling g X ~ 10 -1 , previously indicated as a possible solution to the small scale dark matter problem.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2021

A tidal disruption event coincident with a high-energy neutrino

Cosmic neutrinos provide a unique window into the otherwise hidden mechanism of particle acceleration in astrophysical objects. The IceCube Collaboration recently reported the likely association of one high-energy neutrino with a flare from the relativistic jet of an active galaxy pointed towards the Earth. However a combined analysis of many similar active galaxies revealed no excess from the broader population, leaving the vast majority of the cosmic neutrino flux unexplained. Here we present the likely association of a radio-emitting tidal disruption event, AT2019dsg, with a second high-energy neutrino. AT2019dsg was identified as part of our systematic search for optical counterparts to high-energy neutrinos with the Zwicky Transient Facility. The probability of finding any coincident radio-emitting tidal disruption event by chance is 0.5%, while the probability of finding one as bright in bolometric energy flux as AT2019dsg is 0.2%. Our electromagnetic observations can be explained through a multizone model, with radio analysis revealing a central engine, embedded in a UV photosphere, that powers an extended synchrotron-emitting outflow. This provides an ideal site for petaelectronvolt neutrino production. Assuming that the association is genuine, our observations suggest that tidal disruption events with mildly relativistic outflows contribute to the cosmic neutrino flux.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Impact of the cosmic neutrino background on long-range force searches

Light bosons can mediate long-range forces. We show that light bosonic mediators interacting with a background medium, in particular, with the cosmic neutrino background (CνB), may induce medium-dependent masses which could effectively screen long-range forces from detection. This leads to profound implications for long-range force searches in e.g. the Eöt-Wash, MICROSCOPE, and lunar laser-ranging (LLR) experiments. For instance, we find that when the coupling of the mediator to neutrinos is above 3 × 10 −10 or 5 × 10 −13 , bounds from LLR and experiments employing the Sun as an attractor, respectively, would be entirely eliminated. Larger values of the coupling can also substantially alleviate bounds from searches conducted at shorter distances.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2024

Imprints of light dark matter on the evolution of cosmic neutrinos

Neutrinos are often considered as a portal to new physics beyond the Standard Model (SM) and might possess phenomenologically interesting interactions with dark matter (DM). Here, this paper examines the cosmological imprints of DM that interacts with and is produced from SM neutrinos at temperatures below the MeV scale. We take a model-independent approach to compute the evolution of DM in this framework and present analytic results which agree well with numerical ones. Both freeze-in and freeze-out regimes are included in our analysis. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the thermal evolution of neutrinos might be substantially affected by their interaction with DM. We highlight two distinctive imprints of such DM on neutrinos: (i) a large, negative contribution to N eff , which is close to the current experimental limits and will readily be probed by future experiments; (ii) spectral distortion of the cosmic neutrino background (CνB) due to DM annihilating into neutrinos, a potentially important effect for the ongoing experimental efforts to detect CνB.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2018

Differential limit on the extremely-high-energy cosmic neutrino flux in the presence of astrophysical background from nine years of IceCube data

We report a quasidifferential upper limit on the extremely-high-energy (EHE) neutrino flux above 5×10 6 GeV based on an analysis of nine years of IceCube data. The astrophysical neutrino flux measured by IceCube extends to PeV energies, and it is a background flux when searching for an independent signal flux at higher energies, such as the cosmogenic neutrino signal. We have developed a new method to place robust limits on the EHE neutrino flux in the presence of an astrophysical background, whose spectrum has yet to be understood with high precision at PeV energies. A distinct event with a deposited energy above 106 GeV was found in the new two-year sample, in addition to the one event previously found in the seven-year EHE neutrino search. These two events represent a neutrino flux that is incompatible with predictions for a cosmogenic neutrino flux and are considered to be an astrophysical background in the current study. The obtained limit is the most stringent to date in the energy range between 5×10 6 and 2×10 10 GeV. This result constrains neutrino models predicting a three-flavor neutrino flux of E$2\atop{ν}$φ ν$_e$ + ν$_μ$ + ν$_τ$ ≃2×10 -8 GeV/cm 2 sec sr at 10 9 GeV. Finally, a significant part of the parameter space for EHE neutrino production scenarios assuming a proton-dominated composition of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays is disfavored independently of uncertain models of the extragalactic background light which previous IceCube constraints partially relied on.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Messengers from the Early Universe: Cosmic Neutrinos and Other Light Relics

The hot dense environment of the early universe is known to have produced large numbers of baryons, photons, and neutrinos. These extreme conditions may have also produced other long-lived species, including new light particles (such as axions or sterile neutrinos) or gravitational waves. The gravitational effects of any such light relics can be observed through their unique imprint in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the large-scale structure, and the primordial light element abundances, and are important in determining the initial conditions of the universe. We argue that future cosmological observations, in particular improved maps of the CMB on small angular scales, can be orders of magnitude more sensitive for probing the thermal history of the early universe than current experiments. These observations offer a unique and broad discovery space for new physics in the dark sector and beyond, even when its effects would not be visible in terrestrial experiments or in astrophysical environments. A detection of an excess light relic abundance would be a clear indication of new physics and would provide the first direct information about the universe between the times of reheating and neutrino decoupling one second later.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2019

Messengers from the Early Universe: Cosmic Neutrinos and Other Light Relics

The hot dense environment of the early universe is known to have produced large numbers of baryons, photons, and neutrinos. These extreme conditions may have also produced other long-lived species, including new light particles (such as axions or sterile neutrinos) or gravitational waves. The gravitational effects of any such light relics can be observed through their unique imprint in the cosmic microwave background (CMB), the large-scale structure, and the primordial light element abundances, and are important in determining the initial conditions of the universe. We argue that future cosmological observations, in particular improved maps of the CMB on small angular scales, can be orders of magnitude more sensitive for probing the thermal history of the early universe than current experiments. These observations offer a unique and broad discovery space for new physics in the dark sector and beyond, even when its effects would not be visible in terrestrial experiments or in astrophysical environments. A detection of an excess light relic abundance would be a clear indication of new physics and would provide the first direct information about the universe between the times of reheating and neutrino decoupling one second later.

58 GEOSCIENCES↗