Search for low-energy νe, μ, τ and $$\bar \nu _{e,\mu ,\tau } $$ in coincidence with BATSE gamma-ray burstsin coincidence with BATSE gamma-ray bursts

Abstract

Since neutrinos and gamma-rays productions are often associated in many astrophysical processes, the detection of neutrinos in correlation with γ-ray bursts (GRBs) could be a very important step towards the discovery of the sources of these events. A search for low-energy neutrinos of all flavours in correlation with ≈ 200 γ-ray bursts detected by BATSE aboard the Compton Observatory has been performed by the LSD (Liquid-Scintillator Detector) neutrino telescope. This kind of telescope, differently from the water Cerenkov detectors, is also sensitive to νμ, τ and\(\bar \nu _{\mu , \tau } \) fluxes, through the charged-and neutral-current interactions of neutrinos with carbon nuclei. No νe, μ, τ or\(\bar \nu _{e,\mu ,\tau } \) candidate has been detected by LSD during the time interval in which BATSE detected 90% of the photon flux for any of the GRBs analysed. The corresponding upper limits to the neutrino fluxes, summed over 197 GRBs, are:\(F(\bar \nu _e ) \leqslant 1.5 \cdot 10^{11} cm^{ - 2} \), 9≤Eν≤50 MeV,\(F(\bar \nu _e ) \leqslant 2.5 \cdot 10^{10} cm^{ - 2} \), 20≤Eν≤50 MeV,F(νe)≤5.1·1011 cm−2, 25≤Eν ≤50 MeV,F(νμ, τ)≤7.5·1012 cm−2, 20≤Eν≤100 MeV,\(F(\bar \nu _{\mu , \tau } ) \leqslant 7.9 \cdot 10^{12} cm^{ - 2} \), 20≤Eν≤100 MeV.