Exploring \nu_\tau - \nu_s mixing with cascade events in DeepCore

Abstract

The atmospheric neutrino data collected by the IceCube experiment and its low-energy extension DeepCore provide a unique opportunity to probe the neutrino sector of the Standard Model. In the low energy range the experiment have observed neutrino oscillations, and the high energy data are especially sensitive to signatures of new physics in the neutrino sector. In this context, we previously demonstrated the unmatched potential of the experiment to reveal the existence of light sterile neutrinos. The studies are routinely performed in the simplest 3+1 model concentrating on disappearance of muon neutrinos of TeV energy as a result of their mixing with a sterile neutrino. We here extend this analysis to include cascade events that are secondary electromagnetic and hadronic showers produced by neutrinos of all flavors. We find that it is possible to probe the complete parameter space of 3+1 model, including the poorly constrained mixing of the sterile neutrino to tau neutrinos. We show that $\nu_\tau-\nu_s$ mixing results into a unique signature in the data that will allow IceCube to obtain constraints well below the current upper limits.