High-energy neutrinos from active galactic nuclei

Abstract

We calculate the spectrum and high-energy \ensuremath{\nu} background flux from photomeson production in active galactic nuclei (AGN), using the recent UV and x-ray observations to define the photon fields and an accretion-disk shock-acceleration model for producing high-energy particles. Collectively, AGN produce the dominant isotropic \ensuremath{\nu} background between ${10}^{4}$ and ${10}^{10}$ GeV, detectable with current instruments. AGN \ensuremath{\nu}'s should produce a sphere of stellar disruption which may explain the ``broad-line region'' seen in AGN.