Eur. Phys. J. Plus (2019) 134: 358
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjp/i2019-12721-0

Regular Article

Investigation on the UHECR sources using CR-neutrino spectrum: A CRPropa3 simulation

Faculty of Physics, Semnan Univercity, 35131-19111, Semnan, Iran

^* e-mail: grastegar@semnan.ac.ir

Received: 30 October 2018
Accepted: 3 May 2019
Published online: 26 July 2019

Abstract

Ultra-high-energy cosmic rays interact with cosmic photon background during their propagation in the universe. Cosmogenic neutrinos are created in these interactions and they can be detected as isotropic extragalactic fluxes at the Earth. Different features of cosmic ray sources cause different secondary spectra, so the investigation of these spectra can reveal the properties of the sources. In this work, we have used CRPropa3 to simulate the propagation of UHECRs in the extragalactic medium. By changing the source parameters including the mass composition, spectral index, maximum energy and the source evolution parameter, the propagated CR and the created neutrino spectra are obtained. In addition, we have calculated the energy budget carried by secondary CRs and neutrinos for the mass composition and source evolution parameter. It is shown that neutrino spectra change significantly with the change of mass composition, spectral index, maximum energy, and the evolution parameter of the source. The energy budget carried by secondary CR and neutrinos also changes with mass composition and source evolution parameter. Regarding observational data, the study of these changes can help us to know the nature of UHECR sources and to constrain UHECR source models.