Invisible Neutrino Decay Could Resolve IceCube’s Track and Cascade Tension

TY - JOUR

T1 - Invisible Neutrino Decay Could Resolve IceCube’s Track and Cascade Tension

AU - Denton, Peter Bennert

AU - Tamborra, Irene

PY - 2018/9/20

Y1 - 2018/9/20

N2 - The IceCube Neutrino Observatory detects high energy astrophysical neutrinos in two event topologies: tracks and cascades. Since the flavor composition of each event topology differs, tracks and cascades can be used to test the neutrino properties and the mechanisms behind the neutrino production in astrophysical sources. Assuming a conventional model for the neutrino production, the IceCube data sets related to the two channels are in >3σ tension with each other. Invisible neutrino decay with lifetime τ/m=102 s/eV solves this tension. Noticeably, it leads to an improvement over the standard nondecay scenario of more than 3σ while remaining consistent with all other multimessenger observations. In addition, our invisible neutrino decay model predicts a reduction of 59% in the number of observed ντ events which is consistent with the current observational deficit.

AB - The IceCube Neutrino Observatory detects high energy astrophysical neutrinos in two event topologies: tracks and cascades. Since the flavor composition of each event topology differs, tracks and cascades can be used to test the neutrino properties and the mechanisms behind the neutrino production in astrophysical sources. Assuming a conventional model for the neutrino production, the IceCube data sets related to the two channels are in >3σ tension with each other. Invisible neutrino decay with lifetime τ/m=102 s/eV solves this tension. Noticeably, it leads to an improvement over the standard nondecay scenario of more than 3σ while remaining consistent with all other multimessenger observations. In addition, our invisible neutrino decay model predicts a reduction of 59% in the number of observed ντ events which is consistent with the current observational deficit.

U2 - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.121802

DO - 10.1103/PhysRevLett.121.121802

M3 - Journal article

C2 - 30296122

SN - 0031-9007

VL - 121

JO - Physical Review Letters

JF - Physical Review Letters

M1 - 121802

ER -