Ultra-high-energy neutrino scattering onto relic light neutrinos in the galactic halo as a possible source of the highest energy extragalactic cosmicrays

Diffuse relic neutrinos with light mass are transparent to ultra-high-energ y (UHE) neutrinos at thousands of EeV, which are born through the photoprod uction of pions by UHE protons on relic 2.73 K blackbody radiation (BBR), a nd originate in active galactic nuclei (AGNs) at cosmic distances. However, these UHE nu's may interact with others (mainly the heaviest: nu(mu r), nu (tau r), and respective antineutrinos) that are clustered into hot dark mat ter (HDM) galactic halos. UHE photons or protons, secondaries of nu-nu(r) s cattering, might be the final observed signatures of such high-energy chain reactions, and may be responsible for the highest energy extragalactic cos mic-ray (CR) events. Here we consider the conversion efficiency, ramificati ons, and energetics of these chain reactions for the 1991 October CR event at 320 EeV observed by the Fly's Eye detector in Utah. These quantities see m to be compatible with the distance, direction, and power (observed at MeV gamma energies) of the Seyfert galaxy MCG 8-11-11. The nu-nu(r) interactio n probability is favored by at least 3 orders of magnitude over a direct nu scattering onto Earth's atmosphere. Therefore, it may better explain the e xtragalactic origin of the puzzling 320 EeV event, while offering indirect evidence of a hot dark Galactic halo of light neutrinos (i.e., m(nu) simila r to tens of eV), probably of tau flavor.