Updated Limits on TeV-Scale Gravity from Absence of Neutrino Cosmic Ray Showers Mediated by Black Holes

Abstract

We revise existing limits on the D-dimensional Planck scale M_D from the nonobservation of microscopic black holes produced by high energy cosmic neutrinos in scenarios with D=4+n large extra dimensions. Previous studies have neglected the energy radiated in gravitational waves by the multipole moments of the incoming shock waves. We include the effects of energy loss, as well as form factors for black hole production and recent null results from cosmic ray detectors. For n>4, we obtain M_D > 1.0 - 1.4 TeV. These bounds are among the most stringent and conservative to date.