Exploring Layered Structure Inside Earth Using Atmospheric Neutrino Oscillation at IceCube DeepCore

Abstract

The IceCube detector, using its densely instrumented center, called DeepCore, can detect multi-GeV atmospheric neutrinos. The oscillation pattern of neutrinos is altered due to interactions with ambient electrons as they pass through Earth. The changes in these patterns are influenced by the amount of matter and its specific arrangement. As neutrinos propagate, they retain information about the densities they encounter. Our study demonstrates that IceCube DeepCore can utilize the Earth's matter effects to distinguish between a homogeneous matter density profile and a layered structure density profile of Earth. In this contribution, we present that IceCube DeepCore data equivalent to 9.3 years of observation can reject the homogeneous matter density profile with a confidence level of 1.4$\sigma$.

arXiv comment4 pages and 1 figure. Contribution to the 17th International Conference on Interconnections Between Particle Physics and Cosmology (PPC 2024). Published in Springer Proceedings in Physics, vol 322. Springer, Singapore

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