An absence of neutrinos associated with cosmic-ray acceleration in gamma-ray bursts

Abbasi R; Abdou Y; Abu-Zayyad T; Ackermann M; Adams J; Aguilar JA; Ahlers M; Altmann D; Andeen K; Auffenberg J; Bai X; Baker M; Barwick SW; Bay R; Alba JLB; Beattie K; Beatty JJ; Bechet S; Becker JK; Becker KH; Bell M; Benabderrahmane ML; BenZvi S; Berdermann J; Berghaus P; Berley D; Bernardini E; Bertrand D; Besson DZ; Bindig D; Bissok M; Blaufuss E; Blumenthal J; Boersma DJ; Bohm C; Bose D; Boser S; Botner O; Brayeur L; Brown AM; Buitink S; Caballero-Mora KS; Carson M; Casier M; Chirkin D; Christy B; Clevermann F; Cohen S; Colnard C; Cowen DF; Silva AHC; D'Agostino MV; Danninger M; Daughhetee J; Davis JC; DeClercq C; Degner T; Descamps F; Desiati P; de Vries-Uiterweerd G; DeYoung T; Diaz-Velez JC; Dierckxsens M; Dreyer J; Dumm JP; Dunkman M; Eisch J; Ellsworth RW; Engdegard O; Euler S; Evenson PA; Fadiran O; Fazely AR; Fedynitch A; Feintzeig J; Feusels T; Filimonov K; Finley C; Fischer-Wasels T; Flis S; Franckowiak A; Franke R; Gaisser TK; Gallagher J; Gerhardt L; Gladstone L; Glusenkamp T; Goldschmidt A; Goodman JA; Gora D; Grant D; Griesel T; Gross A; Grullon S; Gurtner M; Ha C; Ismail AH; Hallgren A; Halzen F; Han K; Hanson K; Heereman D; Heinen D; Helbing K; Hellauer R; Hickford S; Hill GC; Hoffman KD; Hoffmann B; Homeier A; Hoshina K; Huelsnitz W; Hulss JP; Hulth PO; Hultqvist K; Hussain S; Ishihara A; Jacobi E; Jacobsen J; Japaridze S; Johansson H; Kappes A; Karg T; Karle A; Kiryluk J; Kislat F; Klein SR; Kohne JH; Kohnen G; Kolanoski H; Kopke L; Kopper S; Koskinen DJ; Kowalski M; Kowarik T; Krasberg M; Kroll G; Kunnen J; Kurahashi N; Kuwabara T; Labare M; Laihem K; Landsman H; Larson MJ; Lauer R; Lunemann J; Madsen J; Marotta A; Maruyama R; Mase K; Matis HS; Meagher K; Merck M; Meszaros P; Meures T; Miarecki S; Middell E; Milke N; Miller J; Montaruli T; Morse R; Movit SM; Nahnhauer R; Nam JW; Naumann U; Nowicki SC; Nygren DR; Odrowski S; Olivas A; Olivo M; O'Murchadha A; Panknin S; Paul L; de los Heros CP; Piegsa A; Pieloth D; Posselt J; Price PB; Przybylski GT; Rawlins K; Redl P; Resconi E; Rhode W; Ribordy M; Richman M; Riedel B; Rizzo A; Rodrigues JP; Rothmaier F; Rott C; Ruhe T; Rutledge D; Ruzybayev B; Ryckbosch D; Sander HG; Santander M; Sarkar S; Schatto K; Schmidt T; Schoneberg S; Schonwald A; Schukraft A; Schulte L; Schultes A; Schulz O; Schunck M; Seckel D; Semburg B; Seo SH; Sestayo Y; Seunarine S; Silvestri A; Smith MWE; Spiczak GM; Spiering C; Stamatikos M; Stanev T; Stezelberger T; Stokstad RG; Stossl A; Strahler EA; Strom R; Stuer M; Sullivan GW; Taavola H; Taboada I; Tamburro A; Ter-Antonyan S; Tilav S; Toale PA; Toscano S; Tosi D; van Eijndhoven N; Van Overloop A; van Santen J; Vehring M; Voge M; Walck C; Waldenmaier T; Wallraff M; Walter M; Wasserman R; Weaver C; Wendt C; Westerhoff S; Whitehorn N; Wiebe K; Wiebusch CH; Williams DR; Wischnewski R; Wissing H; Wolf M; Wood TR; Woschnagg K; Xu C; Xu DL; Xu XW; Yanez JP; Yodh G; Yoshida S; Zarzhitsky P; Zoll M

Nature, Vol.484, No.7394, 351-354, 2012

Abbasi R, Abdou Y, Abu-Zayyad T, Ackermann M, Adams J, Aguilar JA, Ahlers M, Altmann D, Andeen K, Auffenberg J, Bai X, Baker M, Barwick SW, Bay R, Alba JLB, Beattie K, Beatty JJ, Bechet S, Becker JK, Becker KH, Bell M, Benabderrahmane ML, BenZvi S, Berdermann J, Berghaus P, Berley D, Bernardini E, Bertrand D, Besson DZ, Bindig D, Bissok M, Blaufuss E, Blumenthal J, Boersma DJ, Bohm C, Bose D, Boser S, Botner O, Brayeur L, Brown AM, Buitink S, Caballero-Mora KS, Carson M, Casier M, Chirkin D, Christy B, Clevermann F, Cohen S, Colnard C, Cowen DF, Silva AHC, D'Agostino MV, Danninger M, Daughhetee J, Davis JC, DeClercq C, Degner T, Descamps F, Desiati P, de Vries-Uiterweerd G, DeYoung T, Diaz-Velez JC, Dierckxsens M, Dreyer J, Dumm JP, Dunkman M, Eisch J, Ellsworth RW, Engdegard O, Euler S, Evenson PA, Fadiran O, Fazely AR, Fedynitch A, Feintzeig J, Feusels T, Filimonov K, Finley C, Fischer-Wasels T, Flis S, Franckowiak A, Franke R, Gaisser TK, Gallagher J, Gerhardt L, Gladstone L, Glusenkamp T, Goldschmidt A, Goodman JA, Gora D, Grant D, Griesel T, Gross A, Grullon S, Gurtner M, Ha C, Ismail AH, Hallgren A, Halzen F, Han K, Hanson K, Heereman D, Heinen D, Helbing K, Hellauer R, Hickford S, Hill GC, Hoffman KD, Hoffmann B, Homeier A, Hoshina K, Huelsnitz W, Hulss JP, Hulth PO, Hultqvist K, Hussain S, Ishihara A, Jacobi E, Jacobsen J, Japaridze S, Johansson H, Kappes A, Karg T, Karle A, Kiryluk J, Kislat F, Klein SR, Kohne JH, Kohnen G, Kolanoski H, Kopke L, Kopper S, Koskinen DJ, Kowalski M, Kowarik T, Krasberg M, Kroll G, Kunnen J, Kurahashi N, Kuwabara T, Labare M, Laihem K, Landsman H, Larson MJ, Lauer R, Lunemann J, Madsen J, Marotta A, Maruyama R, Mase K, Matis HS, Meagher K, Merck M, Meszaros P, Meures T, Miarecki S, Middell E, Milke N, Miller J, Montaruli T, Morse R, Movit SM, Nahnhauer R, Nam JW, Naumann U, Nowicki SC, Nygren DR, Odrowski S, Olivas A, Olivo M, O'Murchadha A, Panknin S, Paul L, de los Heros CP, Piegsa A, Pieloth D, Posselt J, Price PB, Przybylski GT, Rawlins K, Redl P, Resconi E, Rhode W, Ribordy M, Richman M, Riedel B, Rizzo A, Rodrigues JP, Rothmaier F, Rott C, Ruhe T, Rutledge D, Ruzybayev B, Ryckbosch D, Sander HG, Santander M, Sarkar S, Schatto K, Schmidt T, Schoneberg S, Schonwald A, Schukraft A, Schulte L, Schultes A, Schulz O, Schunck M, Seckel D, Semburg B, Seo SH, Sestayo Y, Seunarine S, Silvestri A, Smith MWE, Spiczak GM, Spiering C, Stamatikos M, Stanev T, Stezelberger T, Stokstad RG, Stossl A, Strahler EA, Strom R, Stuer M, Sullivan GW, Taavola H, Taboada I, Tamburro A, Ter-Antonyan S, Tilav S, Toale PA, Toscano S, Tosi D, van Eijndhoven N, Van Overloop A, van Santen J, Vehring M, Voge M, Walck C, Waldenmaier T, Wallraff M, Walter M, Wasserman R, Weaver C, Wendt C, Westerhoff S, Whitehorn N, Wiebe K, Wiebusch CH, Williams DR, Wischnewski R, Wissing H, Wolf M, Wood TR, Woschnagg K, Xu C, Xu DL, Xu XW, Yanez JP, Yodh G, Yoshida S, Zarzhitsky P, Zoll M

Very energetic astrophysical events are required to accelerate cosmic rays to above 10(18) electronvolts. GRBs (c-ray bursts) have been proposed as possible candidate sources(1-3). In the GRB 'fireball' model, cosmic-ray acceleration should be accompanied by neutrinos produced in the decay of charged pions created in interactions between the high-energy cosmic-ray protons and gamma-rays(4). Previous searches for such neutrinos found none, but the constraints were weak because the sensitivity was at best approximately equal to the predicted flux(5-7). Here we report an upper limit on the flux of energetic neutrinos associated with GRBs that is at least a factor of 3.7 below the predictions(4,8-10). This implies either that GRBs are not the only sources of cosmic rays with energies exceeding 10(18) electronvolts or that the efficiency of neutrino production is much lower than has been predicted.