Low energy cosmic-ray antineutrinos

The production of cosmic-ray electron antineutrinos (CRantiνe) from the decay of secondary neutrons (n) is considered. In general, this way of antiν production accounts for ∼80% of the total CR antiνe production; but as the n-decay antiν have an energy ∼ 4 103 times lower than that of their progenitors, it is only at energies below 10 MeV that these antiν can compete with the antiνe produced via the pion-decay channel. The low energy antiνe fluxes expected from CR interactions in various environments (earth atmosphere, interstellar medium, CR sources, galactic center) are calculated and compared with low energy antiν fluxes from other sources, either astrophysical or terrestrial