Analyzing the Correlation Between High Energy Neutrinos and Cosmic Rays

• Main Author: Kovacevich, Michael
• Other Authors: Beatty, James
• Format: Thesis
• Language: English
• Published: The Ohio State University 2018
• Subjects: Astrophysics; Neutrinos; Cosmic Rays; South Pole; South pole
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/1811/84862

Neutrinos and cosmic rays are highly relativistic particles that pervade the universe and have energies beyond those of man-made experiments. These particles are thought to be produced by some of the most violent astrophysical events in the universe. It is thought that these events, such as supernovae, are capable of producing and accelerating both of these particles to such high energies. An experiment that aims to capture these high-energy particles is IceCube. IceCube is located at the south pole and is currently performing an All-Sky survey that has been recording data since 2008. Analyzing data from 2008-2015, it is possible to calculate if there is a correlation between high-energy neutrinos (HEν) and cosmic rays (HECR). Since the HECR seem to be isotropic and random, a window can be placed around a HEν and the amount of HECR that pass through this window can be counted. Comparing these counts to a Monte Carlo simulation can help verify if HEν and HECR are correlated and originate from the same, nearby, astrophysical source. Undergraduate College of Arts & Sciences Mayers Summer Research Scholarship No embargo Academic Major: Physics