Neutrinos from the Galactic Center in the Light of Its Gamma-Ray Detection at TeV Energy

Publisher Website
Google Scholar
Abstract
We reevaluate the event rate expected in km3-scale detectors for neutrinos from the direction of the Galactic center (GC) in light of recent spectral measurements obtained by the HESS instrument for ~TeV γ-radiation from this direction. In the most plausible scenario the reevaluated event rate is smaller than that previously calculated—and here recalculated—on the basis of EGRET data. However, the GC TeV γ-ray detections by the Whipple, CANGAROO, and HESS instruments, together with the strong indications for an overabundance of cosmic rays coming from the GC at EeV energies, strengthen the expectation for a detectable, TeV-PeV GC neutrino signal from proton-proton interactions in that region. If the TeV γ-ray-EeV cosmic-ray anisotropy connection is correct, this signal will be detectable within a year and half for km3-scale neutrino detectors in the Northern Hemisphere at super-TeV energies and, significantly, should also be detectable in 1.6 yr by the South Polar IceCube detector at energies 1014 eV. The GC neutrino signal should also produce a detectable signal from neutrino showering and resonant W- production by e in the volume of a km3-scale detector.