Dark matter at DeepCore and IceCube

TL;DR

This paper develops a detailed theoretical framework for interpreting neutrino signals from dark matter annihilation in the Sun, enhancing IceCube/DeepCore's detection capabilities with comprehensive particle physics and neutrino propagation modeling.

Contribution

It provides an extensive, detailed template analysis for accurately predicting neutrino signals from dark matter, including spin correlations, decay helicities, and neutrino propagation effects.

Findings

Enhanced neutrino spectrum prediction accuracy

Improved modeling of neutrino propagation and oscillations

Refined background event rate estimation

Abstract

With the augmentation of IceCube by DeepCore, the prospect for detecting dark matter annihilation in the Sun is much improved. To complement this experimental development, we provide a thorough template analysis of the particle physics issues that are necessary to precisely interpret the data. Our study is about nitty-gritty and is intended as a framework for detailed work on a variety of dark matter candidates. To accurately predict the source neutrino spectrum, we account for spin correlations of the final state particles and the helicity-dependence of their decays, and absorption effects at production. We fully treat the propagation of neutrinos through the Sun, including neutrino oscillations, energy losses and tau regeneration. We simulate the survival probability of muons produced in the Earth by using the Muon Monte Carlo program, reproduce the published IceCube effective area, and update the parameters in the differential equation that approximates muon energy losses. To evaluate the zenith-angle dependent atmospheric background event rate, we track the Sun and determine the time it spends at each zenith angle. Throughout, we employ neutralino dark matter as our example.