arXiv · 1203.5406
Searches for sterile neutrinos with IceCube DeepCore
Abstract
We show that study of the atmospheric neutrinos in the 10--100 GeV energy range by DeepCore sub-array of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory can substantially constrain the mixing of sterile neutrinos of mass $\sim 1$ eV with active neutrinos. In the scheme with one sterile neutrino we calculate $ν_μ-$ and $\barν_μ-$ oscillation probabilities as well as zenith angle distributions of $ν_μ^{CC}$ events in different energy intervals in DeepCore. The distributions depend on the mass hierarchy of active neutrinos. Therefore, in principle, the hierarchy can be identified, if $ν_s$ exists. After a few years of exposure the DeepCore data will allow to exclude the mixing $|U_{μ4}|^2 \geq 0.02$ indicated by the LSND/MiniBooNE results. Combination of the DeepCore and high energy IceCube data will further improve sensitivity to $ν_s$ mixing parameters.
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Soebur Razzaque, A. Yu. Smirnov. 2012-04-16. Searches for sterile neutrinos with IceCube DeepCore. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevd.85.093010
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