Published June 4, 2004 | Version v1
Journal article

Neutrino telescopes as a direct probe of supersymmetry breaking

  • 1. Department of Astronomy and Space Sciences Laboratory, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
  • 2. Department of Physics, University of California, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
  • 3. Theory Group, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)

Description

We consider models where the scale of supersymmetry breaking lies between 5x106 and 5x108 GeV. In this class of theories, which includes models of mediated supersymmetry breaking, the lightest supersymmetric particle is the gravitino, and the next to lightest is typically a long-lived charged slepton with a lifetime between a microsecond and a second, depending on its mass. We investigate the production of these particles by the diffuse flux of high energy neutrinos colliding with nucleons in the Earth, and the potential for their observation in large ice or water Cerenkov detectors. The small production cross section is partially compensated by the very long range of sleptons. The signal, two well-separated parallel tracks, has very little background. Using the Waxman-Bahcall limit for the neutrino flux results in up to four events a year in km3 experiments

Additional details

Publishing Information

Journal Title
Physical Review Letters
Journal Volume
92
Journal Issue
22
Journal Page Range
p. 221802-221802.4
ISSN
0031-9007
CODEN
PRLTAO

Optional Information

Notes
(c) 2004 The American Physical Society