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Toward measuring the low-energy cosmic-ray spectrum with next-generation neutrino detectors

Stephan A. Meighen-Berger1,2,*, Jayden L. Newstead1,3,†, and Louis E. Strigari4,5,‡

  • *Contact author: stephan.meighenberger@unimelb.edu.au
  • †Contact author: jnewstead@unimelb.edu.au
  • ‡Contact author: strigari@tamu.edu
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Phys. Rev. D 114, 083058 – Published 30 October, 2026

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/bk55-z2mq

Abstract

We investigate the capabilities of upcoming kiloton-scale neutrino detectors, such as Hyper-Kamiokande, in determining the primary cosmic-ray spectrum. These detectors provide full-sky coverage and long-term monitoring, unlike traditional satellite and balloon experiments that measure cosmic-ray flux at specific altitudes and locations. By analyzing the atmospheric neutrino flux generated by cosmic-ray interactions, we demonstrate that future detectors can differentiate between various cosmic-ray models with high statistical significance, even when accounting for uncertainties in neutrino cross sections and hadronic interactions. We introduce a technique for reconstructing the primary cosmic-ray spectrum using neutrino measurements, which reduces the flux uncertainty from approximately 20% to about 7%. We then show that Hyper-K has the potential to increase sensitivity to neutrino oscillation parameters, such as sin2θ23, by a factor of 2. Our results highlight the complementary role of neutrino detectors in cosmic-ray physics and their critical importance for precision measurements in particle astrophysics.

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Phys. Rev. D 114, 083058– Published 30 October, 2026
  • Received 22 May 2025
  • Accepted 25 September 2026
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