arXiv:hep-ph/0209162·v1·High Energy Physics — Phenomenology
Low Scale String Unification and the Highest Energy Cosmic Rays
William S. Burgett (UT Dallas)🇺🇸 · G. Domokos🇺🇸 · S. Kovesi-Domokos (Johns Hopkins University)🇺🇸
Abstract
String unification at a scale of a few tens of TeV explains the existence of cosmic ray interactions beyond the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) cutoff. Trans-GZK cosmic rays are neutrinos which can penetrate the cosmic microwave background. In interactions with atmospheric nuclei they have sufficient energy for exciting string modes. We present a model for the description of such interactions and discuss the properties of the resulting extensive air showers. Presently available data on trans-GZK cosmic rays suggest a string scale around 80 TeV.
Comments: 8 pages, LaTeX