Limiting the Parameter Space for Unstable eV-Scale Neutrinos Using IceCube Data

Physical Review Letters, vol. 137, pp. 101801

Abstract

This Letter extends a recent IceCube sterile neutrino search to include unstable sterile neutrinos within the context of a model termed 3+1+Decay, which expands upon the 3+1 model by introducing sterile neutrino decay to invisible particles with coupling constant g^{2}. The model is attractive since it reduces tension between oscillation experiments within the global fits and with constraints that come from cosmological observables. The analysis uses 10.7 years of up-going muon neutrino data with energy 500 GeV to 100 TeV and with improved reconstruction and modeling of systematics. The best-fit point is found to be g^{2}=0, sin^{2}(2θ_{24})=0.16, and Δm_{41}^{2}=3.5 eV^{2}, in agreement with the recent 3+1 sterile neutrino search. Values of g^{2}≥π are excluded at 95% confidence level. This result substantially limits decay parameter space indicated by recent global fits, disfavoring the decay scenario.

Authors 100

1. Rasha U. Abbasi

   Loyola University Chicago

   Affiliation as printed

   Loyola University Chicago

2. M. Ackermann

   Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY

   Affiliation as printed

   Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY

3. J. Adams

   University of Canterbury

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Canterbury

4. Sanjib Kumar Agarwalla

   University of Wisconsin–Madison

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Wisconsin—Madison

5. J. A. Aguilar

   Université Libre de Bruxelles

   Affiliation as printed

   Université Libre de Bruxelles

6. M. Ahlers

   University of Copenhagen

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Copenhagen

7. Jean-Marco Alameddine

   TU Dortmund University

   Affiliation as printed

   TU Dortmund University

8. S. Ali

   University of Kansas

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   University of Kansas

9. N.M. Amin

   University of Delaware

   Affiliation as printed

   University of Delaware

10. K. Andeen

    Marquette University

    Affiliation as printed

    Marquette University

11. Carlos A. Argüelles

    Harvard University

    Affiliation as printed

    Harvard University

12. Y. Ashida

    University of Utah

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Utah

13. S. Athanasiadou

    Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY

    Affiliation as printed

    Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY

14. Spencer Axani

    University of Delaware

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Delaware

15. R. Babu

    Michigan State University

    Affiliation as printed

    Michigan State University

16. X. Bai

    South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

    Affiliation as printed

    South Dakota School of Mines and Technology

17. J. Baines-Holmes

    University of Wisconsin–Madison

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Wisconsin—Madison

18. A. Balagopal V.

    University of Wisconsin–Madison · University of Delaware

    Affiliation as printed

    University of Delaware

    University of Wisconsin—Madison

19. S. W. Barwick
    Affiliation as printed

    University of California

20. S. Bash

    Technical University of Munich

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    Technische Universität München

21. Vedant Basu

    University of Utah

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    University of Utah

22. R. Bay
    Affiliation as printed

    University of California

23. J.J. Beatty

    The Ohio State University

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    Ohio State University

24. J. Becker Tjus

    Ruhr University Bochum

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    Ruhr-Universität Bochum

25. P. Behrens Aachen

    RWTH Aachen University

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    RWTH Aachen University

26. Jakob Beise

    Uppsala University

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    Uppsala University

27. Chiara Bellenghi

    Technical University of Munich

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    Technische Universität München

28. B. Benkel

    Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY

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    Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY

29. S. BenZvi

    University of Rochester

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    University of Rochester

30. David Berley

    University of Maryland, College Park

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    University of Maryland

31. E. Bernardini

    University of Padua

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    Università Degli Studi di Padova

32. D. Z. Besson

    University of Kansas

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    University of Kansas

33. E. Blaufuss

    University of Maryland, College Park

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    University of Maryland

34. L. Bloom

    University of Alabama

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    University of Alabama

35. Summer Blot

    Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY

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    Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY

36. I. Bodo

    University of Wisconsin–Madison

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    University of Wisconsin—Madison

37. F. Bontempo

    Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

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    Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

38. J. Y. Book Motzkin

    Harvard University

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    Harvard University

39. Caterina Boscolo Meneguolo

    University of Padua

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    Università Degli Studi di Padova

40. S. Böser

    Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

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    University of Mainz

41. O. Botner

    Uppsala University

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    Uppsala University

42. Jakob Bottcher Aachen

    RWTH Aachen University

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    RWTH Aachen University

43. J. Braun

    University of Wisconsin–Madison

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    University of Wisconsin—Madison

44. B. Brinson

    Georgia Institute of Technology

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    Georgia Institute of Technology

45. Z. Brisson-Tsavoussis

    Queen's University · Queens University

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    Queen’s University

46. R. T. Burley

    The University of Adelaide

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    University of Adelaide

47. D. Butterfield

    University of Wisconsin–Madison

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    University of Wisconsin—Madison

48. M. A. Campana

    Drexel University

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    Drexel University

49. Kiara Carloni

    Harvard University

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    Harvard University

50. J. Carpio

    University of Nevada, Reno

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    University of Nevada

51. S. Chattopadhyay

    University of Wisconsin–Madison

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    University of Wisconsin—Madison

52. N. Chau

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

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    Université Libre de Bruxelles

53. Z. Chen

    Stony Brook University

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    Stony Brook University

54. D. Chirkin

    University of Wisconsin–Madison

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    University of Wisconsin—Madison

55. S. Choi

    University of Utah

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    University of Utah

56. Brian A. Clark

    University of Maryland, College Park

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    University of Maryland

57. A. Coleman

    Uppsala University

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    Uppsala University

58. P. J. Coleman Aachen

    RWTH Aachen University

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    RWTH Aachen University

59. G. H. Collin

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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    Massachusetts Institute of Technology

60. Diego Alberto Coloma Borja

    University of Padua

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    Università Degli Studi di Padova

61. A. Connolly

    The Ohio State University

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    Ohio State University

62. Janet M. Conrad

    Massachusetts Institute of Technology

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    Massachusetts Institute of Technology

63. R. Corley

    University of Utah

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    University of Utah

64. D. F. Cowen

    Pennsylvania State University

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    Pennsylvania State University

65. C. De Clercq

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

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    Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

66. J.J. Delaunay

    Pennsylvania State University

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    Pennsylvania State University

67. D. Delgado

    Harvard University

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    Harvard University

68. T. Delmeulle

    Université Libre de Bruxelles

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    Université Libre de Bruxelles

69. S. Deng Aachen

    RWTH Aachen University

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    RWTH Aachen University

70. P. Desiati

    University of Wisconsin–Madison

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    University of Wisconsin—Madison

71. Krijn D. de Vries

    Vrije Universiteit Brussel

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    Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

72. G. de Wasseige

    UCLouvain

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    Université catholique de Louvain

73. J. C. Díaz-Vélez

    University of Wisconsin–Madison

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    University of Wisconsin—Madison

74. S. Dikerby

    Michigan State University

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    Michigan State University

75. M. Dittmer

    University of Münster

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    Universität Münster

76. A. Domi

    Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

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    Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

77. L. Draper

    University of Utah

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    University of Utah

78. L. Dueser Aachen

    RWTH Aachen University

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    RWTH Aachen University

79. Daniel Durnford

    University of Alberta

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    University of Alberta

80. K. Dutta

    Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

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    University of Mainz

81. M. A. DuVernois

    University of Wisconsin–Madison

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    University of Wisconsin—Madison

82. T. Ehrhardt

    Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz

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    University of Mainz

83. L. Eidenschink

    Technical University of Munich

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    Technische Universität München

84. A. Eimer

    Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

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    Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg

85. P. Eller

    Technical University of Munich

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    Technische Universität München

86. E. Ellinger

    University of Wuppertal

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    University of Wuppertal

87. D. Elsässer

    TU Dortmund University

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    TU Dortmund University

88. Robert Engel

    Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

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    Karlsruhe Institute of Technology

89. H. Erpenbeck

    University of Wisconsin–Madison

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    University of Wisconsin—Madison

90. W. Esmail

    University of Münster

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    Universität Münster

91. Steven Eulig

    Harvard University

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    Harvard University

92. J. Evans

    University of Maryland, College Park

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    University of Maryland

93. P.A. Evenson

    University of Delaware

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    University of Delaware

94. K.L. Fan

    University of Maryland, College Park

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    University of Maryland

95. K. Fang

    University of Wisconsin–Madison

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    University of Wisconsin—Madison

96. K. Farrag

    Chiba University

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    Chiba University

97. Ali R. Fazely
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    Southern University

98. A. Fedynitch
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    Institute of Physics

99. N. Feigl

    Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

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    Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

100. Chad Finley

     Stockholm University

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     Stockholm University