Flavor ratio of astrophysical neutrinos above 35 TeV in IceCube

dc.contributor.authorAartsen, M.
dc.contributor.authorAckermann, M.
dc.contributor.authorAdams, J.
dc.contributor.authorAguilar, J.
dc.contributor.authorAhlers, M.
dc.contributor.authorAhrens, M.
dc.contributor.authorAltmann, D.
dc.contributor.authorAnderson, T.
dc.contributor.authorArguelles, C.
dc.contributor.authorArlen, T.
dc.contributor.authorAuffenberg, J.
dc.contributor.authorBai, X.
dc.contributor.authorBarwick, S.
dc.contributor.authorBaum, V.
dc.contributor.authorBay, R.
dc.contributor.authorBeatty, J.
dc.contributor.authorBecker Tjus, J.
dc.contributor.authorBecker, K.
dc.contributor.authorBenzvi, S.
dc.contributor.authorBerghaus, P.
dc.contributor.authoret al.
dc.date.issued2015
dc.description.abstractA diffuse flux of astrophysical neutrinos above 100 TeV has been observed at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. Here we extend this analysis to probe the astrophysical flux down to 35 TeV and analyze its flavor composition by classifying events as showers or tracks. Taking advantage of lower atmospheric backgrounds for showerlike events, we obtain a shower-biased sample containing 129 showers and 8 tracks collected in three years from 2010 to 2013. We demonstrate consistency with the (fe∶fμ∶fτ)⊕≈(1∶1∶1)⊕ flavor ratio at Earth commonly expected from the averaged oscillations of neutrinos produced by pion decay in distant astrophysical sources. Limits are placed on nonstandard flavor compositions that cannot be produced by averaged neutrino oscillations but could arise in exotic physics scenarios. A maximally tracklike composition of (0∶1∶0)⊕ is excluded at 3.3σ, and a purely showerlike composition of (1∶0∶0)⊕ is excluded at 2.3σ.
dc.description.statementofresponsibilityM. G. Aartsen ... G. C. Hill ... S. Robertson ... B. J. Whelan ... et al. (IceCube Collaboration)
dc.identifier.citationPhysical Review Letters, 2015; 114(17):171102-1-171102-8
dc.identifier.doi10.1103/PhysRevLett.114.171102
dc.identifier.issn0031-9007
dc.identifier.issn1079-7114
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/2440/101014
dc.language.isoen
dc.publisherAmerican Physical Society
dc.relation.grantARC
dc.rights© 2015 American Physical Society
dc.source.urihttps://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.114.171102
dc.subjectIceCube Collaboration
dc.titleFlavor ratio of astrophysical neutrinos above 35 TeV in IceCube
dc.typeJournal article
pubs.publication-statusPublished

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