Limits on the parameter space of (3+2) sterile neutrino scenario by IceCube data

Abstract

The neutrino sector of the standard model of particles can contain more than one sterile neutrino states. Generally, existence of more sterile states leads to better, or at least equally good, fit to the short baseline anomalous data due to the larger number of parameters and interferences which create features in the oscillation pattern. However, for experiments like IceCube, where the sterile states distort the oscillation pattern of high energy atmospheric neutrinos through parametric and MSW resonances, addition of more sterile states leads to a more intense effect. Although the limits on one additional sterile neutrino state by IceCube data have been studied in the literature, bounds on the models with more sterile states are lacking. We analyze the one-year data set of atmospheric neutrinos collected by IceCube during the 2011–2012 and derive the limits on the parameter space of (3+2) scenario with two sterile neutrino states, taking into account the relevant systematic and statistical uncertainties and atmospheric neutrino flux variants. To facilitate the joint analysis of IceCube and short baseline data, we provide the table of χ2 values from IceCube's data analysis as function of the parameters.