Measuring Flavor Ratios of High-Energy Astrophysical Neutrinos

Beacom, John F.; Bell, Nicole F.; Hooper, Dan; Pakvasa, Sandip; Weiler, Thomas J.

doi:10.1103/PhysRevD.68.093005

Measuring Flavor Ratios of High-Energy Astrophysical Neutrinos

John F. Beacom
(
- Fermilab
)
,
Nicole F. Bell
(
- Fermilab and
- Santa Barbara, KITP
)
,
Dan Hooper
(
- Wisconsin U., Madison
)
,
Sandip Pakvasa
(
- Hawaii U. and
- Santa Barbara, KITP
)
,
Thomas J. Weiler
(
- Vanderbilt U. and
- Santa Barbara, KITP
)

Jul, 2003

10 pages

Published in:

Phys.Rev.D 68 (2003) 093005,
Phys.Rev.D 72 (2005) 019901 (erratum)

e-Print:

hep-ph/0307025 [hep-ph]

DOI:

10.1103/PhysRevD.68.093005 (publication),
10.1103/PhysRevD.72.019901 (erratum)

Report number:

FERMILAB-PUB-03-180-A,
MADPH-03-1336

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Abstract: (arXiv)

We discuss the prospects for next generation neutrino telescopes, such as IceCube, to measure the flavor ratios of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos. The expected flavor ratios at the sources are

\phi_{\nu_e}:\phi_{\nu_{\mu}}:\phi_{\nu_{\tau}} = 1:2:0

, and neutrino oscillations quickly transform these to

1:1:1

. The flavor ratios can be deduced from the relative rates of showers (

\nu_e

charged-current, most

\nu_\tau

charged-current, and all flavors neutral-current), muon tracks (

\nu_\mu

charged-current only), and tau lepton lollipops and double-bangs (

\nu_\tau

charged-current only). The peak sensitivities for these interactions are at different neutrino energies, but the flavor ratios can be reliably connected by a reasonable measurement of the spectrum shape. Measurement of the astrophysical neutrino flavor ratios tests the assumed production mechanism and also provides a very long baseline test of a number of exotic scenarios, including neutrino decay, CPT violation, and small-

\delta m^2

oscillations to sterile neutrinos.

Note:

12 pages, 14 figures; combined published paper and appended erratum

14.60.Pq
96.40.Tv
13.35.Hb
95.85.Ry
neutrino: cosmic radiation
neutrino: flavor
flavor: particle identification
flavor: ratio
showers
neutrino: energy spectrum

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