Parameter degeneracy and information loss in inverse flavor mapping for high-energy astrophysical neutrinos

@misc{chen2026parameter,
  title = {{Parameter degeneracy and information loss in inverse flavor mapping for high-energy astrophysical neutrinos}},
  author = {Zi-Qiang Chen and Zhi-zhong Xing and Ye-Ling Zhou},
  howpublished = {arXiv},
  year = {2026},
  month = sep,
  doi = {10.48550/arxiv.2609.35132},
  eprint = {2609.35132},
  archivePrefix = {arXiv},
  url = {https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.35132},
}

TY  - UNPB
TI  - Parameter degeneracy and information loss in inverse flavor mapping for high-energy astrophysical neutrinos
AU  - Zi-Qiang Chen
AU  - Zhi-zhong Xing
AU  - Ye-Ling Zhou
PY  - 2026
DA  - 2026/09/28
PB  - arXiv
DO  - 10.48550/arxiv.2609.35132
UR  - https://arxiv.org/abs/2609.35132
AB  - Given a high-energy astrophysical neutrino flux, its source flavor ratios η= {η^_e, η^_μ, η^_τ} are correlated with the ones f = {f^_e, f^_μ, f^_τ} measured at a neutrino telescope via f = P η, where the elements of P consist of four lepton flavor mixing parameters. But realistic {\it inverse} flavor mapping η= P^−1 f encounters unavoidable parameter degeneracy and information loss, especially in or near the det P = 0 limit allowed by current neutrino oscillation data. In this work we explore the parameter correlation condition for det P = 0 including the μ-τ reflection symmetry case, formulate the corresponding constraints on f^_e and f^_μ versus η^_e and η^_μ, and illustrate to what extent the source flavor distribution can be mapped by using the recent IceCube all-sky neutrino flux data ranging from 5 TeV to 10 PeV under the assumption that the relevant sources have a common flavor composition.
ER  -