Explanation of IceCube spectrum with $\nu\rightarrow 3 \nu$ neutrino splitting in a $\nu$2HDM model

TL;DR

This paper proposes a neutrino splitting model within a $ u$2HDM framework to better explain IceCube's high-energy neutrino spectrum, addressing limitations of single power-law models and predicting distinctive flavor ratios.

Contribution

It introduces a $ u$2HDM-based neutrino splitting mechanism that improves fit to IceCube data and suggests observable flavor ratio signatures for testing.

Findings

Neutrino splitting improves fit to IceCube spectrum from 1 TeV to 6 PeV.

Flavor ratios of daughter neutrinos differ from standard oscillation predictions.

Model constraints are addressed by introducing a vector lepton doublet.

Abstract

A single power law flux spectrum of high energy neutrinos does not adequately explain the entire 60 TeV to 10 PeV event spectrum observed at IceCube, specially the excess of PeV events and the lack of Glashow resonance events expected at 6.3 PeV cannot be simultaneously explained by a single power law source neutrino flux. Here we consider a model of neutrino splitting $\nu\rightarrow 3 \nu$ over cosmological distances. Starting from a single power-law spectrum expected from the astrophysical sources, we show that by adjusting the decay length and spectral index one can give a better fit to the observed IceCube events over the entire 1 TeV -6 PeV, compared to that from a single power spectrum. For $\nu\rightarrow 3\nu$ neutrino splitting, the flavor ratios of the daughter neutrinos are different from the standard oscillation or invisible decay cases and can be used as a test of this scenario. We propose a $\nu$2HDM where a light Higgs ($\sim 0.1$~eV) mediates neutrino splitting via a one-loop box diagram. The split in the masses of the scalars in the doublet gives a large contribution to the oblique T parameter which is severely constrained. This constraint from the S,T,U oblique parameters can be evaded by the introduction of an extra vector lepton doublet and with mass $\sim 200$ GeV.