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arXiv · 1707.08573

Double Bangs from New Physics in IceCube

Pilar Coloma·Pedro A. N. Machado·Ivan Martinez-Soler·Ian M. Shoemaker
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Abstract

A variety of new physics models allows for neutrinos to up-scatter into heavier states. If the incident neutrino is energetic enough, the heavy neutrino may travel some distance before decaying. In this work, we consider the atmospheric neutrino flux as a source of such events. At IceCube, this would lead to a "double-bang" (DB) event topology, similar to what is predicted to occur for tau neutrinos at ultra-high energies. The DB event topology has an extremely low background rate from coincident atmospheric cascades, making this a distinctive signature of new physics. Our results indicate that IceCube should already be able to derive new competitive constraints on models with GeV-scale sterile neutrinos using existing data.

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Pilar Coloma, Pedro A. N. Machado, Ivan Martinez-Soler, Ian M. Shoemaker. 2017-07-26. Double Bangs from New Physics in IceCube. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.119.201804

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