Analysis of inclined air showers and search for ultra-high energy neutrinos and photons with the Pierre Auger Observatory

Abstract

The Pierre Auger Observatory distinguishes itself by its capability to detect showers arriving at the ground with zenith angles up to 90°, and provides a unique tool to search for primary photons and neutrinos in ultra-high energy cosmic rays. From a dedicated analysis of inclined air showers with zenith angles larger than 60°, we present the updated cosmic-ray energy spectrum above 4 × 1018 eV and a measurement of the muon number in inclined showers at ground level. We also present the latest results on the search for UHE neutrinos and photons, reporting updated upper limits on the diffuse fluxes of ultra-high energy neutrinos and photons in the sub-EeV range and above. In addition we report the sensitivity of the Surface Detector to neutrinos from point-like sources.