Abstract

The Neutrino Mass Ordering (NMO) remains one of the outstanding questions in the field of neutrino physics. One strategy to measure the NMO is to observe matter effects in the oscillation pattern of atmospheric neutrinos above ∼1GeV, as proposed for several next-generation neutrino experiments. Moreover, the existing IceCube DeepCore detector can already explore this type of measurement. We present the development and application of two independent analyses to search for the signature of the NMO with three years of DeepCore data. These analyses include a full treatment of systematic uncertainties and a statistically-rigorous method to determine the significance for the NMO from a fit to the data. Both analyses show that the dataset is fully compatible with both mass orderings. For the more sensitive analysis, we observe a preference for normal ordering with a p-value of pIO=15.3% and CLs=53.3% for the inverted ordering hypothesis, while the experimental results from both analyses are consistent within their uncertainties. Since the result is independent of the value of δCP and obtained from energies Eν≳5GeV, it is complementary to recent results from long-baseline experiments. These analyses set the groundwork for the future of this measurement with more capable detectors, such as the IceCube Upgrade and the proposed PINGU detector.

Details

Title
Development of an analysis to probe the neutrino mass ordering with atmospheric neutrinos using three years of IceCube DeepCore data
Author
Aartsen, M G 1 ; Ackermann, M 2 ; Adams, J 1 ; Aguilar, J A 3 ; Ahlers, M 4 ; Ahrens, M 5 ; Alispach, C 6 ; Andeen, K 7 ; Anderson, T 8 ; Ansseau, I 3 ; Anton, G 9 ; Argüelles, C 10 ; Auffenberg, J 11 ; Axani, S 10 ; Backes, P 11 ; Bagherpour, H 1 ; Bai, X 12 ; Barbano, A 6 ; Barwick, S W 13 ; Baum, V 14 ; Bay, R 15 ; Beatty, J J 16 ; K-H, Becker 17 ; Becker, Tjus J 18 ; BenZvi, S 19 ; Berley, D 20 ; Bernardini, E 2 ; Besson, D Z 21 ; Binder, G 22 ; Bindig, D 17 ; Blaufuss, E 20 ; Blot, S 2 ; Bohm, C 5 ; Börner, M 23 ; Böser, S 14 ; Botner, O 24 ; Bourbeau, E 4 ; Bourbeau, J 25 ; Bradascio, F 2 ; Braun, J 25 ; H-P, Bretz 2 ; Bron, S 6 ; Brostean-Kaiser, J 2 ; Burgman, A 24 ; Busse, R S 25 ; Carver, T 6 ; Chen, C 26 ; Cheung, E 20 ; Chirkin, D 25 ; Clark, K 27 ; Classen, L 28 ; Collin, G H 10 ; Conrad, J M 10 ; Coppin, P 29 ; Correa, P 29 ; Cowen, D F 30 ; Cross, R 19 ; Dave, P 26 ; de André J P A M 31 ; De Clercq C 29 ; DeLaunay, J J 8 ; Dembinski, H 32 ; Deoskar, K 5 ; De Ridder S 33 ; Desiati, P 25 ; de Vries K D 29 ; de, Wasseige G 29 ; de With M 34 ; DeYoung, T 31 ; Diaz, A 10 ; Díaz-Vélez, J C 25 ; Dujmovic, H 35 ; Dunkman, M 8 ; Dvorak, E 12 ; Eberhardt, B 25 ; Ehrhardt, T 14 ; Eichmann, B 18 ; Eller, P 8 ; Evans, J J 36   VIAFID ORCID Logo  ; Evenson, P A 32 ; Fahey, S 25 ; Fazely, A R 37 ; Felde, J 20 ; Filimonov, K 15 ; Finley, C 5 ; Franckowiak, A 2 ; Friedman, E 20 ; Fritz, A 14 ; Gaisser, T K 32 ; Gallagher, J 38 ; Ganster, E 11 ; Garrappa, S 2 ; Gerhardt, L 39 ; Ghorbani, K 25 ; Glauch, T 40 ; Glüsenkamp, T 9 ; Goldschmidt, A 39 ; Gonzalez, J G 32 ; Grant, D 31 ; Griffith, Z 25 ; Günder, M 11 ; Gündüz, M 18 ; Haack, C 11 ; Hallgren, A 24 ; Halve, L 11 ; Halzen, F 25 ; Hanson, K 25 ; Hebecker, D 34 ; Heereman, D 3 ; Helbing, K 17 ; Hellauer, R 20 ; Henningsen, F 40 ; Hickford, S 17 ; Hignight, J 31 ; Hill, G C 41 ; Hoffman, K D 20 ; Hoffmann, R 17 ; Hoinka, T 23 ; Hokanson-Fasig, B 25 ; Hoshina, K 25 ; Huang, F 8 ; Huber, M 40 ; Hultqvist, K 5 ; Hünnefeld, M 23 ; 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Meighen-Berger, S 40 ; Menne, T 23 ; Merino, G 25 ; Meures, T 3 ; Miarecki, S 22 ; Micallef, J 31 ; Momenté, G 14 ; Montaruli, T 6 ; Moore, R W 48 ; Moulai, M 10 ; Nagai, R 42 ; Nahnhauer, R 2 ; Nakarmi, P 46 ; Naumann, U 17 ; Neer, G 31 ; Niederhausen, H 45 ; Nowicki, S C 48 ; Nygren, D R 39 ; Obertacke, Pollmann A 17 ; Olivas, A 20 ; O’Murchadha A 3 ; O’Sullivan E 5 ; Palczewski, T 22 ; Pandya, H 32 ; Pankova, D V 8 ; Park, N 25 ; Peiffer, P 14 ; de los Heros C Pérez 24 ; Pieloth, D 23 ; Pinat, E 3 ; Pizzuto, A 25 ; Plum, M 7 ; Price, P B 15 ; Przybylski, G T 39 ; Raab, C 3 ; Raissi, A 1 ; Rameez, M 4 ; Rauch, L 2 ; Rawlins, K 54 ; Rea, I C 40 ; Reimann, R 11 ; Relethford, B 49 ; Renzi, G 3 ; Resconi, E 40 ; Rhode, W 23 ; Richman, M 49 ; Robertson, S 39 ; Rongen, M 11 ; Rott, C 35 ; Ruhe, T 23 ; Ryckbosch, D 33 ; Rysewyk, D 31 ; Safa, I 25 ; Sanchez, Herrera S E 48 ; Sandrock, A 23 ; Sandroos, J 14 ; Santander, M 46 ; Sarkar, S 55 ; Satalecka, K 2 ; Schaufel, M 11 ; Schlunder, P 23 ; 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1  University of Canterbury, Department  of Physics and Astronomy, Christchurch, New Zealand (GRID:grid.21006.35) (ISNI:0000 0001 2179 1970) 
2  DESY, Zeuthen, Germany (GRID:grid.7683.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0492 0453) 
3  Université Libre de Bruxelles, Science Faculty CP230, Brussels, Belgium (GRID:grid.4989.c) (ISNI:0000 0001 2348 0746) 
4  Niels Bohr Institute, University of Copenhagen, Copenhagen, Denmark (GRID:grid.5254.6) (ISNI:0000 0001 0674 042X) 
5  Stockholm University, Oskar Klein Centre and Department  of Physics, Stockholm, Sweden (GRID:grid.10548.38) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 9377) 
6  Université de Genève, Département de physique nucléaire et corpusculaire, Geneva, Switzerland (GRID:grid.8591.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 2322 4988) 
7  Marquette University, Department of Physics, Milwaukee, USA (GRID:grid.259670.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2369 3143) 
8  Pennsylvania State University, Department  of Physics, University Park, USA (GRID:grid.29857.31) (ISNI:0000 0001 2097 4281) 
9  Erlangen Centre for Astroparticle Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany (GRID:grid.5330.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 2107 3311) 
10  Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Department of Physics, Cambridge, USA (GRID:grid.116068.8) (ISNI:0000 0001 2341 2786) 
11  RWTH Aachen University, III. Physikalisches Institut, Aachen, Germany (GRID:grid.1957.a) (ISNI:0000 0001 0728 696X) 
12  South Dakota School of Mines and Technology, Physics Department, Rapid City, USA (GRID:grid.263790.9) (ISNI:0000 0001 0704 1727) 
13  University of California, Department  of Physics and Astronomy, Irvine, USA (GRID:grid.266093.8) (ISNI:0000 0001 0668 7243) 
14  Institute of Physics, University of Mainz, Mainz, Germany (GRID:grid.5802.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 1941 7111) 
15  University of California, Department of Physics, Berkeley, USA (GRID:grid.47840.3f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2181 7878) 
16  Ohio State University, Department  of Physics and Center for Cosmology and Astro-Particle Physics, Columbus, USA (GRID:grid.261331.4) (ISNI:0000 0001 2285 7943); Ohio State University, Department  of Astronomy, Columbus, USA (GRID:grid.261331.4) (ISNI:0000 0001 2285 7943) 
17  University of Wuppertal, Department  of Physics, Wuppertal, Germany (GRID:grid.7787.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2364 5811) 
18  Ruhr-Universität Bochum, Fakultät für Physik & Astronomie, Bochum, Germany (GRID:grid.5570.7) (ISNI:0000 0004 0490 981X) 
19  University of Rochester, Department  of Physics and Astronomy, Rochester, USA (GRID:grid.16416.34) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 9174) 
20  University of Maryland, Department  of Physics, College Park, USA (GRID:grid.164295.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 0941 7177) 
21  University of Kansas, Department  of Physics and Astronomy, Lawrence, USA (GRID:grid.266515.3) (ISNI:0000 0001 2106 0692) 
22  University of California, Department of Physics, Berkeley, USA (GRID:grid.47840.3f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2181 7878); Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, USA (GRID:grid.184769.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 2231 4551) 
23  TU Dortmund University, Department  of Physics, Dortmund, Germany (GRID:grid.5675.1) (ISNI:0000 0001 0416 9637) 
24  Uppsala University, Department  of Physics and Astronomy, Uppsala, Sweden (GRID:grid.8993.b) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 9457) 
25  University of Wisconsin, Department  of Physics and Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center, Madison, USA (GRID:grid.28803.31) (ISNI:0000 0001 0701 8607) 
26  Georgia Institute of Technology, School of Physics and Center for Relativistic Astrophysics, Atlanta, USA (GRID:grid.213917.f) (ISNI:0000 0001 2097 4943) 
27  SNOLAB, Lively, Canada (GRID:grid.28803.31) 
28  Institut für Kernphysik, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany (GRID:grid.5949.1) (ISNI:0000 0001 2172 9288) 
29  Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB), Dienst ELEM, Brussels, Belgium (GRID:grid.8767.e) (ISNI:0000 0001 2290 8069) 
30  Pennsylvania State University, Department  of Astronomy and Astrophysics, University Park, USA (GRID:grid.29857.31) (ISNI:0000 0001 2097 4281); Pennsylvania State University, Department  of Physics, University Park, USA (GRID:grid.29857.31) (ISNI:0000 0001 2097 4281) 
31  Michigan State University, Department  of Physics and Astronomy, East Lansing, USA (GRID:grid.17088.36) (ISNI:0000 0001 2150 1785) 
32  University of Delaware, Bartol Research Institute and Department  of Physics and Astronomy, Newark, USA (GRID:grid.33489.35) (ISNI:0000 0001 0454 4791) 
33  University of Gent, Department  of Physics and Astronomy, Gent, Belgium (GRID:grid.5342.0) (ISNI:0000 0001 2069 7798) 
34  Institut für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany (GRID:grid.7468.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2248 7639) 
35  Sungkyunkwan University, Department  of Physics, Suwon, Korea (GRID:grid.264381.a) (ISNI:0000 0001 2181 989X) 
36  The University of Manchester, School of Physics and Astronomy, Manchester, UK (GRID:grid.5379.8) (ISNI:0000000121662407) 
37  Southern University, Department of Physics, Baton Rouge, USA (GRID:grid.263880.7) (ISNI:0000 0004 0386 0655) 
38  University of Wisconsin, Department  of Astronomy, Madison, USA (GRID:grid.28803.31) (ISNI:0000 0001 0701 8607) 
39  Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, USA (GRID:grid.184769.5) (ISNI:0000 0001 2231 4551) 
40  Technische Universität München, Physik-department, Garching, Germany (GRID:grid.6936.a) (ISNI:0000000123222966) 
41  Adelaide, Department of Physics, University of Adelaide, 5005, Australia (GRID:grid.17088.36) 
42  Chiba University, Department of Physics and Institute for Global Prominent Research, Chiba, Japan (GRID:grid.136304.3) (ISNI:0000 0004 0370 1101) 
43  CTSPS, Clark-Atlanta University, Atlanta, USA (GRID:grid.254275.3) (ISNI:0000 0001 2224 3669) 
44  University of Texas at Arlington, Department of Physics, Arlington, USA (GRID:grid.267315.4) (ISNI:0000 0001 2181 9515) 
45  Stony Brook University, Department  of Physics and Astronomy, Stony Brook, USA (GRID:grid.36425.36) (ISNI:0000 0001 2216 9681) 
46  University of Alabama, Department  of Physics and Astronomy, Tuscaloosa, USA (GRID:grid.411015.0) (ISNI:0000 0001 0727 7545) 
47  Institut für Physik, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany (GRID:grid.7468.d) (ISNI:0000 0001 2248 7639); DESY, Zeuthen, Germany (GRID:grid.7683.a) (ISNI:0000 0004 0492 0453) 
48  University of Alberta, Department  of Physics, Edmonton, Canada (GRID:grid.17089.37) 
49  Drexel University, Department  of Physics, Philadelphia, USA (GRID:grid.166341.7) (ISNI:0000 0001 2181 3113) 
50  Adelaide, Department of Physics, University of Adelaide, 5005, Australia (GRID:grid.166341.7) 
51  University of Wisconsin, Department  of Physics, River Falls, USA (GRID:grid.267478.8) (ISNI:0000 0001 0084 3081) 
52  Yale University, Department  of Physics, New Haven, USA (GRID:grid.47100.32) (ISNI:0000000419368710) 
53  Ohio State University, Department  of Physics and Center for Cosmology and Astro-Particle Physics, Columbus, USA (GRID:grid.261331.4) (ISNI:0000 0001 2285 7943) 
54  University of Alaska Anchorage, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Anchorage, USA (GRID:grid.265894.4) (ISNI:0000 0001 0680 266X) 
55  University of Oxford, Department  of Physics, Oxford, UK (GRID:grid.4991.5) (ISNI:0000 0004 1936 8948) 
56  Adelaide, Department of Physics, University of Adelaide, 5005, Australia (GRID:grid.10548.38) 
57  Adelaide, Department of Physics, University of Adelaide, 5005, Australia (GRID:grid.28803.31) 
58  UCLA, Department of Physics and Astronomy, Los Angeles, USA (GRID:grid.19006.3e) (ISNI:0000 0000 9632 6718) 
Publication year
2020
Publication date
Jan 2020
Publisher
Springer Nature B.V.
ISSN
14346044
e-ISSN
14346052
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
DOI
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-019-7555-0
ProQuest document ID
2333075778
Copyright
The European Physical Journal C is a copyright of Springer, (2020). All Rights Reserved. This work is published under http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/ (the “License”). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.