TY - JOUR
T1 - Searching for pseudo-dirac neutrinos from astrophysical sources in IceCube data
AU - Dixit, Khushboo
AU - Miranda, Luis Salvador
AU - Razzaque, Soebur
N1 - Publisher Copyright:
© The Author(s) 2025.
PY - 2025/12
Y1 - 2025/12
N2 - We analyze IceCube public data from its IC86 configuration, namely PSTracks event selection, to search for pseudo-Dirac signatures in high-energy neutrinos from astrophysical sources. Neutrino flux from astrophysical sources is reduced in the pseudo-Dirac scenario due to the conversion of active-to-sterile neutrinos as compared to the neutrino oscillation scenario of only three active neutrinos over astrophysical distances. We fit IceCube data using astrophysical flux models for four point-like sources in both scenarios and constrain the active-sterile mass-square-difference in the absence of any evidence for the pseudo-Dirac scenario. We present the exclusion regions for the common mass-squared difference δm2, inducing active-sterile oscillations, for all three neutrino flavors. This includes results from individual sources as well as from a stacking analysis that combines data from the four sources. Our findings indicate that the exclusion region is δm2∈[2.1×10-21-2.0×10-16] eV2 with ≥90% confidence level (CL) significance for neutrino energies ranging from 0.5 TeV to 1 PeV. When we extend the energy range down to 0.1 TeV, the exclusion region broadens to δm2∈[1.1×10-21-3.0×10-16] eV2 at ≥90% CL.
AB - We analyze IceCube public data from its IC86 configuration, namely PSTracks event selection, to search for pseudo-Dirac signatures in high-energy neutrinos from astrophysical sources. Neutrino flux from astrophysical sources is reduced in the pseudo-Dirac scenario due to the conversion of active-to-sterile neutrinos as compared to the neutrino oscillation scenario of only three active neutrinos over astrophysical distances. We fit IceCube data using astrophysical flux models for four point-like sources in both scenarios and constrain the active-sterile mass-square-difference in the absence of any evidence for the pseudo-Dirac scenario. We present the exclusion regions for the common mass-squared difference δm2, inducing active-sterile oscillations, for all three neutrino flavors. This includes results from individual sources as well as from a stacking analysis that combines data from the four sources. Our findings indicate that the exclusion region is δm2∈[2.1×10-21-2.0×10-16] eV2 with ≥90% confidence level (CL) significance for neutrino energies ranging from 0.5 TeV to 1 PeV. When we extend the energy range down to 0.1 TeV, the exclusion region broadens to δm2∈[1.1×10-21-3.0×10-16] eV2 at ≥90% CL.
UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105026253865
U2 - 10.1140/epjc/s10052-025-15207-5
DO - 10.1140/epjc/s10052-025-15207-5
M3 - Article
AN - SCOPUS:105026253865
SN - 1434-6044
VL - 85
JO - European Physical Journal C
JF - European Physical Journal C
IS - 12
M1 - 1481
ER -