Search for a diffuse flux of high-energy $ u_mu$ with the ANTARES neutrino telescope

A search for a diffuse flux of astrophysical muon neutrinos, using data collected by the ANTARES neutrino telescope is presented. A $(0.83times 2pi)$ sr sky was monitored for a total of 334 days of equivalent live time. The searched signal corresponds to an excess of events, produced by astrophysical sources, over the expected atmospheric neutrino background. The observed number of events is found compatible with the background expectation. Assuming an $E^{-2}$ flux spectrum, a 90% c.l. upper limit on the diffuse $ u_mu$ flux of $E^2Phi_{90%} = 5.3 times 10^{-8} mathrm{GeV cm^{-2} s^{-1} sr^{-1}} $ in the energy range 20 TeV - 2.5 PeV is obtained. Other signal models with different energy spectra are also tested and some rejected.

A parameterisation of the flux and energy spectrum of single and multiple muons in deep water/ice

In this paper parametric formulas are presented to evaluate the flux of atmospheric muons in the range of vertical depth between 1.5 to 5 km of water equivalent (km w.e.) and up to 85^o for the zenith angle. We take into account their arrival in bundles with different muon multiplicities. The energy of muons inside bundles is then computed considering the muon distance from the bundle axis. This parameterisation relies on a full Monte Carlo simulation of primary Cosmic Ray (CR) interactions, shower propagation in the atmosphere and muon transport in deep water [1]. The primary CR flux and interaction models, in the range in which they can produce muons which may reach 1.5 km w.e., suffer from large experimental uncertainties. We used a primary CR flux and an interaction model able to correctly reproduce the flux, the multiplicity distribution, the spatial distance between muons as measured by the underground MACRO experiment.