EUSO-SPB2 Cherenkov Telescope: Overview and First Neutrino Constraints

Abstract

Earth-skimming tau neutrinos with energies above $\sim 10$ PeV can convert to tau leptons that decay in the atmosphere and initiate upward-going extensive air showers that generate optical Cherenkov signals. On a curtailed NASA balloon flight in May 2023, the Cherenkov telescope (CT) on the Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a Super Pressure Balloon 2 (EUSO-SPB2) was launched and had a short flight at $\sim 30$ km altitude. With some time pointing below the Earth's limb, EUSO-SPB2 CT data allow searches for neutrino events that yield optical flashes from the forward-beamed Cherenkov light. We present an overview of the CT and provide upper limits for the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux from flight data as a proof-of-principle demonstration. We also briefly describe how the methodology is extended to potential transient neutrino point sources.