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arXiv · 2608.06543

Estimating the sensitivity of the IceCube Upgrade to probe the interior of the Earth using atmospheric neutrino oscillations

The IceCube Collaboration·R. Abbasi·M. Ackermann·J. Adams·S. K. Agarwalla·J. A. Aguilar·M. Ahlers·J. M. Alameddine·S. Ali·N. M. Amin·K. Andeen·C. Arg{ü}elles·S. Athanasiadou·S. N. Axani·R. Babu·X. Bai·A. Balagopal V.·S. W. Barwick·V. Basu·R. Bay·J. J. Beatty·J. Becker Tjus·P. Behrens·J. Beise·C. Bellenghi·S. Benkel·S. BenZvi·D. Berley·E. Bernardini·D. Z. Besson·E. Blaufuss·L. Bloom·S. Blot·F. Bontempo·J. Y. Book Motzkin·C. Boscolo Meneguolo·S. B{ö}ser·O. Botner·J. B{ö}ttcher·J. Braun·B. Brinson·Z. Brisson-Tsavoussis·L. Brusa·R. T. Burley·D. Butterfield·K. Carloni·J. Carpio·S. Chattopadhyay·N. Chau·Y. C. Chen·Z. Chen·D. Chirkin·S. Choi·A. Chubarov·B. A. Clark·D. A. Coloma Borja·A. Connolly·J. M. Conrad·D. F. Cowen·C. De Clercq·J. J. DeLaunay·D. Delgado·T. Delmeulle·S. Deng·P. Desiati·K. D. de Vries·G. de Wasseige·T. DeYoung·J. C. D{\'ı}az-V{é}lez·S. DiKerby·T. Ding·M. Dittmer·A. Domi·L. Draper·L. Dueser·D. Durnford·K. Dutta·M. A. DuVernois·T. Ehrhardt·L. Eidenschink·A. Eimer·C. Eldridge·P. Eller·E. Ellinger·D. Els{ä}sser·R. Engel·H. Erpenbeck·W. Esmail·S. Eulig·J. Evans·P. A. Evenson·K. L. Fan·K. Fang·K. Farrag·A. Fattorini·A. R. Fazely·A. Fedynitch·N. Feigl·C. Finley·D. Fox
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Abstract

The IceCube Upgrade is a densely instrumented central region of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, deployed during the 2025-26 polar season. It will reduce the detector's energy threshold and improve overall reconstruction capabilities for multi-GeV atmospheric neutrinos, which in turn enhance their sensitivity to Earth matter effects as they traverse through the deep Earth. In this study, we describe the potential of the IceCube Upgrade to observe Earth matter effects on atmospheric neutrinos and estimate the detector's sensitivity to probe key features of the Preliminary Reference Earth Model by utilizing these observations. We highlight the IceCube Upgrade's capability to estimate the mass of the Earth and verify the non-homogeneous distribution of matter density within the Earth. We also estimate the IceCube Upgrade sensitivity to measure the correlated densities of the Earth layers while incorporating constraints from the mass and moment of inertia of the Earth. Neutrino-based results would be independent and complementary to the seismic and gravitational measurements.

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The IceCube Collaboration, R. Abbasi, M. Ackermann, J. Adams, S. K. Agarwalla, J. A. Aguilar, M. Ahlers, J. M. Alameddine, S. Ali, N. M. Amin, K. Andeen, C. Arg{ü}elles, S. Athanasiadou, S. N. Axani, R. Babu, X. Bai, A. Balagopal V., S. W. Barwick, V. Basu, R. Bay, J. J. Beatty, J. Becker Tjus, P. Behrens, J. Beise, C. Bellenghi, S. Benkel, S. BenZvi, D. Berley, E. Bernardini, D. Z. Besson, E. Blaufuss, L. Bloom, S. Blot, F. Bontempo, J. Y. Book Motzkin, C. Boscolo Meneguolo, S. B{ö}ser, O. Botner, J. B{ö}ttcher, J. Braun, B. Brinson, Z. Brisson-Tsavoussis, L. Brusa, R. T. Burley, D. Butterfield, K. Carloni, J. Carpio, S. Chattopadhyay, N. Chau, Y. C. Chen, Z. Chen, D. Chirkin, S. Choi, A. Chubarov, B. A. Clark, D. A. Coloma Borja, A. Connolly, J. M. Conrad, D. F. Cowen, C. De Clercq, J. J. DeLaunay, D. Delgado, T. Delmeulle, S. Deng, P. Desiati, K. D. de Vries, G. de Wasseige, T. DeYoung, J. C. D{\'ı}az-V{é}lez, S. DiKerby, T. Ding, M. Dittmer, A. Domi, L. Draper, L. Dueser, D. Durnford, K. Dutta, M. A. DuVernois, T. Ehrhardt, L. Eidenschink, A. Eimer, C. Eldridge, P. Eller, E. Ellinger, D. Els{ä}sser, R. Engel, H. Erpenbeck, W. Esmail, S. Eulig, J. Evans, P. A. Evenson, K. L. Fan, K. Fang, K. Farrag, A. Fattorini, A. R. Fazely, A. Fedynitch, N. Feigl, C. Finley, D. Fox. 2026-08-06. Estimating the sensitivity of the IceCube Upgrade to probe the interior of the Earth using atmospheric neutrino oscillations. https://arxiv.org/abs/2608.06543

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