Prospects for observations of high-energy cosmic tau neutrinos - art. no. 093010

We study the prospects for the observation of high-energy cosmic tau neutri nos (E greater than or equal to 10(6) GeV) originating from proton accelera tion in the cores of active galactic nuclei. We consider the possibility th at vacuum flavor neutrino oscillations induce a tau to muon neutrino flux r atio greatly exceeding the rather small value expected from intrinsic produ ction. The criteria and event rates for under water or ice light Cerenkov n eutrino telescopes are given by considering the possible detection of downg oing high-energy cosmic tau neutrinos through characteristic double shower events.