Unusual Near-Horizon Cosmic-Ray-like Events Observed by ANITA-IV

ANITA’s fourth long-duration balloon flight in 2016 detected 29 cosmic-ray (CR)-like events on a background of 0.37 + 0.27 − 0.17 anthropogenic events. CRs are mainly seen in reflection off the Antarctic ice sheets, creating a phase-inverted waveform polarity. However, four of the below-horizon CR-like events show anomalous noninverted polarity, a p = 5.3 × 10 − 4 chance if due to background. All anomalous events are from locations near the horizon; ANITA-IV observed no steeply upcoming anomalous events similar to the two such events seen in prior flights