The Effect of Doppler Broadening on the $6.3 \ PeV$ $W^-$ Resonance in $\bar{\nu}_e e^-$ Collisions

Abstract

We calculate the Doppler broadening of the $W^-$ resonance produced in $\bar{\nu}_e e^-$ collisions of cosmic anti-neutrinos with $E_{\nu}\approx 6.3 \ PeV$ with electrons in atoms up to Iron. Revisiting this issue is prompted by recent observations of PeV neutrinos by Ice-Cube. Despite its poor energy resolution, the $20\%$ Doppler broadening of the resonance due to electronic motions can produce observable effects via non-linear neutrino absorption near the resonance. The attendant suppression of the peak cross section allows $\bar{\nu}_e$ to travel correspondingly longer distances. While this effect is unlikely to be directly detected in the near future, it may facilitate terrestrial tomography at depths of $\sim 10 \ km$, complementing deeper explorations using the more frequent nuclear interactions at lower energies.