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arXiv · 2204.00612

First Search for Unstable Sterile Neutrinos with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory

R. Abbasi·M. Ackermann·J. Adams·J. A. Aguilar·M. Ahlers·M. Ahrens·J. M. Alameddine·A. A. Alves Jr.·N. M. Amin·K. Andeen·T. Anderson·G. Anton·C. Argüelles·Y. Ashida·S. Axani·X. Bai·A. Balagopal V.·S. W. Barwick·B. Bastian·V. Basu·S. Baur·R. Bay·J. J. Beatty·K. -H. Becker·J. Becker Tjus·J. Beise·C. Bellenghi·S. Benda·S. BenZvi·D. Berley·E. Bernardini·D. Z. Besson·G. Binder·D. Bindig·E. Blaufuss·S. Blot·M. Boddenberg·F. Bontempo·J. Y. Book·J. Borowka·S. Böser·O. Botner·J. Böttcher·E. Bourbeau·F. Bradascio·J. Braun·B. Brinson·S. Bron·J. Brostean-Kaiser·R. T. Burley·R. S. Busse·M. A. Campana·E. G. Carnie-Bronca·C. Chen·Z. Chen·D. Chirkin·K. Choi·B. A. Clark·K. Clark·L. Classen·A. Coleman·G. H. Collin·J. M. Conrad·P. Coppin·P. Correa·D. F. Cowen·R. Cross·C. Dappen·P. Dave·C. De Clercq·J. J. DeLaunay·D. Delgado López·H. Dembinski·K. Deoskar·A. Desai·P. Desiati·K. D. de Vries·G. de Wasseige·M. de With·T. DeYoung·A. Diaz·J. C. Díaz-Vélez·M. Dittmer·H. Dujmovic·M. Dunkman·M. A. DuVernois·T. Ehrhardt·P. Eller·R. Engel·H. Erpenbeck·J. Evans·P. A. Evenson·K. L. Fan·A. R. Fazely·A. Fedynitch·N. Feigl·S. Fiedlschuster·A. T. Fienberg·C. Finley·L. Fischer
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Abstract

We present a search for an unstable sterile neutrino by looking for a matter-induced signal in eight years of atmospheric $\nu_\mu$ data collected from 2011 to 2019 at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. Both the (stable) three-neutrino and the 3+1 sterile neutrino models are disfavored relative to the unstable sterile neutrino model, though with $p$-values of 2.5\% and 0.81\%, respectively, we do not observe evidence for 3+1 neutrinos with neutrino decay. The best-fit parameters for the sterile neutrino with decay model from this study are $\Delta m_{41}^2=6.7^{+3.9}_{-2.5}\,\rm{eV}^2$, $\sin^2 2\theta_{24}=0.33^{+0.20}_{-0.17}$, and $g^2=2.5\pi\pm1.5\pi$, where $g$ is the decay-mediating coupling. The preferred regions from short-baseline oscillation searches are excluded at 90\% C.L.

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R. Abbasi, M. Ackermann, J. Adams, J. A. Aguilar, M. Ahlers, M. Ahrens, J. M. Alameddine, A. A. Alves Jr., N. M. Amin, K. Andeen, T. Anderson, G. Anton, C. Argüelles, Y. Ashida, S. Axani, X. Bai, A. Balagopal V., S. W. Barwick, B. Bastian, V. Basu, S. Baur, R. Bay, J. J. Beatty, K. -H. Becker, J. Becker Tjus, J. Beise, C. Bellenghi, S. Benda, S. BenZvi, D. Berley, E. Bernardini, D. Z. Besson, G. Binder, D. Bindig, E. Blaufuss, S. Blot, M. Boddenberg, F. Bontempo, J. Y. Book, J. Borowka, S. Böser, O. Botner, J. Böttcher, E. Bourbeau, F. Bradascio, J. Braun, B. Brinson, S. Bron, J. Brostean-Kaiser, R. T. Burley, R. S. Busse, M. A. Campana, E. G. Carnie-Bronca, C. Chen, Z. Chen, D. Chirkin, K. Choi, B. A. Clark, K. Clark, L. Classen, A. Coleman, G. H. Collin, J. M. Conrad, P. Coppin, P. Correa, D. F. Cowen, R. Cross, C. Dappen, P. Dave, C. De Clercq, J. J. DeLaunay, D. Delgado López, H. Dembinski, K. Deoskar, A. Desai, P. Desiati, K. D. de Vries, G. de Wasseige, M. de With, T. DeYoung, A. Diaz, J. C. Díaz-Vélez, M. Dittmer, H. Dujmovic, M. Dunkman, M. A. DuVernois, T. Ehrhardt, P. Eller, R. Engel, H. Erpenbeck, J. Evans, P. A. Evenson, K. L. Fan, A. R. Fazely, A. Fedynitch, N. Feigl, S. Fiedlschuster, A. T. Fienberg, C. Finley, L. Fischer. 2022-04-01. First Search for Unstable Sterile Neutrinos with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.129.151801

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