arXiv subjects

Arman Esmaili

Publications and source records attributed to Arman Esmaili.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

arXiv2018

On the robustness of IceCube's bound on sterile neutrinos in the presence of non-standard interactions

The mixing parameters of sterile neutrino(s) preferred by the MiniBooNE and LNSD experiments are in strong tension with the exclusion limit from the IceCube experiment. Recently it has been claimed that by considering the non-standard neutrino interactions (NSI) in addition to the sterile neutrino, the IceCube's limit can be relaxed and the tension can be reconciled; a baroque scenario as it has been called. We will show that this claim is just an artifact originating from the energy cuts of the chosen datasets. Contrary to the claim, by turning on the NSI and fixing the NSI parameters to the proposed values, not only the IceCube's limit on sterile neutrino cannot be alleviated, but in fact the tension will be aggravated. The reconciliation, more appropriately, can be called surreal.

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arXiv2017

Probing decaying heavy dark matter with the 4-year IceCube HESE data

After the first four years of data taking, the IceCube neutrino telescope has observed 54 high-energy starting events (HESE) with deposited energies between 20 TeV and 2 PeV. The background from atmospheric muons and neutrinos is expected to be of about 20 events, all below 100 TeV, thus pointing towards the astrophysical origin of about 8 events per year in that data set. However, their precise origin remains unknown. Here, we perform a detailed analysis of this event sample (considering simultaneously the energy, hemisphere and topology of the events) by assuming two contributions for the signal events: an isotropic power-law flux and a flux from decaying heavy dark matter. We fit the mass and lifetime of the dark matter and the normalization and spectral index of an isotropic power-law flux, for various decay channels of dark matter. We find that a significant contribution from dark matter decay is always slightly favored, either to explain the excess below 100 TeV, as in the case of decays to quarks or, as in the case of neutrino channels, to explain the three multi-PeV events. Also, we consider the possibility to interpret all the data by dark matter decays only, considering various combinations of two decay channels. We show that the decaying dark matter scenario provides a better fit to HESE data than the isotropic power-law flux.

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arXiv2016

Constraining the monochromatic gamma-rays from dark matter annihilation by the LHC

The installation of forward detectors in CMS and ATLAS turn the LHC to an effective photon-photon collider. The elastic scattering of the beam-protons via the emission of photons, which can be identified by tagging the intact protons in the forward detectors, provides a powerful diagnostic of the central production of new particles through photon-photon annihilation. In this letter we study the central production of dark matter particles and the potential of LHC to constrain the cross section of this process. By virtue of the crossing symmetry, this limit can immediately be used to constrain the production of monochromatic gamma-rays in dark matter annihilation, a smoking gun signal under investigation in indirect dark matter searches. We show that with the integrated luminosity $\mathcal{L}=30~{\rm fb}^{-1}$ in LHC at center-of-mass energy $\sqrt{s}=$ 13 TeV, for dark matter masses $\sim (50-600)$ GeV, a model-independent constraint on the cross section of dark matter annihilation to monochromatic gamma-rays at the same order of magnitude as the current Fermi-LAT and the future limits from CTA, can be obtained.

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arXiv2015

Discrete symmetries and mixing of Dirac neutrinos

We study mixing of the Dirac neutrinos in the residual symmetries approach. The key difference from the Majorana case is that the Dirac mass matrix may have larger symmetries: $G_ν=\mathbf{Z}_{n}$ with $n\geq3$. The symmetry group relations have been generalized to the case of Dirac neutrinos. Using them we have found all new relations between mixing parameters and corresponding symmetry assignments which are in agreement with the present data. The viable relations exist only for the charged lepton residual symmetry $G_{\ell} = \mathbf{Z}_{2}$. The relations involve elements of the rows of the PMNS matrix and lead to precise predictions of the 2-3 mixing angle and certain ranges of the CP violation phase. For larger symmetries $G_{\ell}$, an agreement with data can be achieved if $\sim10\%$ corrections related to breaking of $G_{\ell}$ and $G_ν$ are included.

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arXiv2015

Gamma-ray bounds from EAS detectors and heavy decaying dark matter constraints

The very high energy Galactic $γ$-ray sky is partially opaque in the ($0.1-10$) PeV energy range. In the light of the recently detected high energy neutrino flux by IceCube, a comparable very high energy $γ$-ray flux is expected in any scenario with a sizable Galactic contribution to the neutrino flux. Here we elaborate on the peculiar energy and anisotropy features imposed upon these very high energy $γ$-rays by the absorption on the cosmic microwave background photons and Galactic interstellar light. As a notable application of our considerations, we study the prospects of probing the PeV-scale decaying DM scenario, proposed as a possible source of IceCube neutrinos, by extensive air shower (EAS) cosmic ray experiments. In particular, we show that anisotropy measurements at EAS experiments are already sensitive to $τ_{\rm DM}\sim {\cal O}(10^{27})$~s and future measurements, using better gamma/hadron separation, can improve the limit significantly.

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arXiv2015

IceCube events and decaying dark matter: hints and constraints

In the light of the new IceCube data on the (yet unidentified) astrophysical neutrino flux in the PeV and sub-PeV range, we present an update on the status of decaying dark matter interpretation of the events. In particular, we develop further the angular distribution analysis and discuss the perspectives for diagnostics. By performing various statistical tests (maximum likelihood, Kolmogorov-Smirnov and Anderson-Darling tests) we conclude that currently the data show a mild preference (below the two sigma level) for the angular distribution expected from dark matter decay vs. the isotropic distribution foreseen for a conventional astrophysical flux of extragalactic origin. Also, we briefly develop some general considerations on heavy dark matter model building and on the compatibility of the expected energy spectrum of decay products with the IceCube data, as well as with existing bounds from gamma-rays. Alternatively, assuming that the IceCube data originate from conventional astrophysical sources, we derive bounds on both decaying and annihilating dark matter for various final states. The lower limits on heavy dark matter lifetime improve by up to an order of magnitude with respect to existing constraints, definitively making these events---even if astrophysical in origin---an important tool for astroparticle physics studies.

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arXiv2014

Probing Large Extra Dimensions With IceCube

In models with Large Extra Dimensions the smallness of neutrino masses can be naturally explained by introducing gauge singlet fermions which propagate in the bulk. The Kaluza-Klein modes of these fermions appear as towers of sterile neutrino states on the brane. We study the phenomenological consequences of this picture for the high energy atmospheric neutrinos. For this purpose we construct a detailed equivalence between a model with large extra dimensions and a (3 + n) scenario consisting of three active and n extra sterile neutrino states, which provides a clear intuitive understanding of Kaluza-Klein modes. Finally, we analyze the collected data of high energy atmospheric neutrinos by IceCube experiment and obtain bounds on the radius of extra dimensions.

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arXiv2014

Impact of sterile neutrinos on the early time flux from a galactic supernova

We study the impact of the existence of an eV-mass scale sterile neutrino---with parameters in the ballpark of what is required to fit the laboratory anomalies---on the early time profile of the electron neutrino and antineutrino fluxes associated to a core-collapse supernova (SN). In particular, we focus on the universal feature of neutronization burst expected in the first tens of ms of the signal: provided that a detector with sufficient sensitivity is available, it is well-known that in the 3 neutrino framework the detection of the neutronization burst in neutrino channel would signal inverted mass hierarchy. This conclusion is dramatically altered in the presence of a sterile neutrino: we study here both analytically and numerically the region in parameter space where this characteristic signal disappears, mimicking normal hierarchy expectations. Conversely, the detection of a peak consistent with expectations for inverted mass hierarchy would exclude the existence of a sterile state over a much wider parameter space than what required by laboratory anomalies fits, or even probed by detectors coming on-line in the near future. Additionally, we show the peculiar alteration in the energy-time double differential flux, with a delayed peak appearing for kinematical reasons, which might offer a remarkable signature in case of favorable parameters and for a high statistics detection of a Galactic SN. We also comment on additional potentially interesting effects in the electron antineutrino channel, if more than one angle in the active-sterile sector is non-vanishing. As an ancillary result that we derived in the technical resolution of the equations, in an appendix we report the Cayley-Hamilton formalism for the evolution of a four neutrino system in matter, generalizing existing results in the literature.

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arXiv2013

Restricting the LSND and MiniBooNE sterile neutrinos with the IceCube atmospheric neutrino data

We study oscillations of the high energy atmospheric neutrinos in the Earth into sterile neutrinos with the eV-scale mass. The MSW resonance and parametric enhancement of the $\barν_μ\to\barν_s$ oscillations lead to distortion of the zenith angle distribution of the muon-track events which can be observed by IceCube. Due to matter effect, the IceCube signal depends not only on the mixing element $U_{μ4}$ relevant for LSND and MiniBooNE but also on $U_{τ4}$ and the CP-violating phase $δ_{24}$. We show that the case with $U_{τ4} = δ_{24} = 0$ leads to the weakest IceCube signal and therefore should be used to bound $U_{μ4}$. We compute the zenith angle distributions of the $ν_μ-$events for different energy intervals in the range (0.1 - 10) TeV and find that inclusion of the energy information (binning in energy) improves the sensitivity to $ν_s$ drastically. We estimate that with already collected (during 3 - 4 years) IceCube statistics the bound $|U_{μ4}|^2 < 0.01$ ($99\%$ C.L.) can be established and the mixing required by LSND and MiniBooNE can be excluded at $(4 - 6) σ$ confidence level.

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arXiv2013

Are IceCube neutrinos unveiling PeV-scale decaying dark matter?

Recent observations by IceCube, notably two PeV cascades accompanied by events at energies ~ (30-400) TeV, are clearly in excess over atmospheric background fluxes and beg for an astroparticle physics explanation. Although some models of astrophysical accelerators can account for the observations within current statistics, intriguing features in the energy and possibly angular distributions of the events make worth exploring alternatives. Here, we entertain the possibility of interpreting the data with a few PeV mass scale decaying Dark Matter, with lifetime of the order of 10^27 s. We discuss generic signatures of this scenario, including its unique energy spectrum distortion with respect to the benchmark $E_ν^{-2}$ expectation for astrophysical sources, as well as peculiar anisotropies. A direct comparison with the data show a good match with the above-mentioned features. We further discuss possible future checks of this scenario.

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arXiv2013

Probing light sterile neutrinos in medium baseline reactor experiments

Medium baseline reactor experiments (Double Chooz, Daya Bay and RENO) provide a unique opportunity to test the presence of light sterile neutrinos. We analyze the data of these experiments in the search of sterile neutrinos and also test the robustness of theta_13 determination in the presence of sterile neutrinos. We show that existence of a light sterile neutrino state improves the fit to these data moderately. We also show that the measured value of theta_{13} by these experiments is reliable even in the presence of sterile neutrinos, and the reliability owes significantly to the Daya Bay and RENO data. From the combined analysis of the data of these experiments we constrain the mixing of a sterile neutrino with mass squared difference in the range of (10^{-3}-10^{-1}) eV^2 to sin^2 2 theta_{14} <0.1 at 95 % C.L..

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arXiv2013

Exploring ν_τ- ν_s mixing with cascade events in DeepCore

The atmospheric neutrino data collected by the IceCube experiment and its low-energy extension DeepCore provide a unique opportunity to probe the neutrino sector of the Standard Model. In the low energy range the experiment have observed neutrino oscillations, and the high energy data are especially sensitive to signatures of new physics in the neutrino sector. In this context, we previously demonstrated the unmatched potential of the experiment to reveal the existence of light sterile neutrinos. The studies are routinely performed in the simplest 3+1 model concentrating on disappearance of muon neutrinos of TeV energy as a result of their mixing with a sterile neutrino. We here extend this analysis to include cascade events that are secondary electromagnetic and hadronic showers produced by neutrinos of all flavors. We find that it is possible to probe the complete parameter space of 3+1 model, including the poorly constrained mixing of the sterile neutrino to tau neutrinos. We show that $ν_τ-ν_s$ mixing results into a unique signature in the data that will allow IceCube to obtain constraints well below the current upper limits.

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arXiv2013

Probing Non-Standard Interaction of Neutrinos with IceCube and DeepCore

We consider effects of the Non-Standard Interactions (NSI) on oscillations of the high energy atmospheric neutrinos. The ν_μ-oscillograms are constructed and their dependence on the NSI strength parameters ε_{αβ} studied. We computed zenith angle distributions of the ν_μ-events in the presence of NSI in different energy regions. The distributions are confronted with the IceCube-79 (high energy sample) and the DeepCore (low energy sample) data and constraints on the strength parameters |ε_{μτ}| < 6x10^-3 and |ε_{μμ}-ε_{ττ}| < 3x10^-2 (90% C.L.) have been obtained. Future measurements of the zenith angle distributions by DeepCore in smaller energy bins will allow to improve the bounds by factor 2 - 3. We discuss the signatures of NSI in zenith angle and energy distributions of events which allow to discriminate them from the effects of sterile neutrinos.

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arXiv2013

Kinematical Test of Large Extra Dimension in Beta Decay Experiments

The forthcoming experiments on neutrino mass measurement using beta decay, open a new window to explore the Large Extra Dimension model. The Kaluza-Klein tower of neutrinos in Large Extra Dimension contribute to the Kurie function of beta decay that can be tested kinematically. In addition to providing an alternative approach using just the kinematical properties, we show that KATRIN can probe the compactification radius of extra dimensions down to 0.2 μm which is better, at least by a factor of two, than the upper limits from neutrino oscillation experiments.

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arXiv2013

Probing the stability of superheavy dark matter particles with high-energy neutrinos

Two of the most fundamental properties of the dark matter particle, the mass and the lifetime, are only weakly constrained by the astronomical and cosmological evidence of dark matter. We derive in this paper lower limits on the lifetime of dark matter particles with masses in the range 10 TeV-10^15 TeV from the non-observation of ultrahigh energy neutrinos in the AMANDA, IceCube, Auger and ANITA experiments. For dark matter particles which produce neutrinos in a two body or a three body decay, we find that the dark matter lifetime must be longer than O(10^26-10^28) s for masses between 10 TeV and the Grand Unification scale. Finally, we also calculate, for concrete particle physics scenarios, the limits on the strength of the interactions that induce the dark matter decay.

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arXiv2013

Constraining Sterile Neutrinos with AMANDA and IceCube Atmospheric Neutrino Data

We demonstrate that atmospheric neutrino data accumulated with the AMANDA and the partially deployed IceCube experiments constrain the allowed parameter space for a hypothesized fourth sterile neutrino beyond the reach of a combined analysis of all other experiments. We also illustrate the sensitivity of the completed IceCube detector, that is now taking data, to the parameter space of 3+1 model.

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arXiv2013

Implications of the Pseudo-Dirac Scenario for Ultra High Energy Neutrinos from GRBs

The source of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) is still an unresolved mystery. Up until recently, sources of Gamma Ray Bursts (GRBs) had been considered as a suitable source for UHECR. Within the fireball model, the UHECR produced at GRBs should be accompanied with a neutrino flux detectable at the neutrino telescope such as IceCube. Recently, IceCube has set an upper bound on the neutrino flux accompanied by GRBs about 3.7 times below the prediction. We investigate whether this deficit can be explained by the oscillation of the active neutrinos to sterile neutrinos en route from the source to the detectors within the pseudo-Dirac scenario. We then discuss the implication of this scenario for diffuse supernova relic neutrinos.

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arXiv2012

Indirect Dark Matter Detection in the Light of Sterile Neutrinos

The recent global fit of short baseline neutrino oscillation data favors the presence of one (or more) sterile neutrino state which leads to new mass splitting Δm^2 ~1 eV^2. We consider the effect of this new states on the evolution of neutrinos from the dark matter annihilation inside the Sun. We show that neutrinos with energy E_ν> 100 GeV undergo resonant active-sterile oscillation which depletes the flux of neutrinos arriving at the Earth. As an example of this effect, we present the oscillation probabilities for the case of monochromatic neutrinos from the direct annihilation of dark matter particles to neutrinos and the depletion due to the presence of sterile neutrinos.

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