RICE - Radio Ice Cerenkov Experiment

RICE - 无线电冰切伦科夫实验

• 批准号: 0338219
• 负责人: Dave Besson
• 金额: --
• 依托单位: University of Kansas Center for Research Inc
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2004
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2004-09-01 至 2008-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=0338219&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: RICE; Radio; Ice; Cerenkov; Experiment

The approval of ice-hole drilling for the IceCube project (to begin in 2004-2005) presents a singe (and not-to-be-repeated) scientific opportunity. The greatest intellectual merit of constructing a neutrino detector lies in the mysteries yet-to-be-discovered with a new technology operating in a new energy regime. RICE (Radio Ice Cherenkov Experiment) has primary goals similar to the larger AMANDA experiment - both seek to measure high-energy neutrinos by detection of Cherenkov radiation produced their interaction with the matter. Whereas AMANDA is optimized for detection of penetrating TeV muons, RICE is designed to detect compact electromagnetic cascades initiated by higher energy (PeV-scale) electrons, which produce broadband Cherenkov radiation. Fortuitously, the field attenuation length at such radio wavelengths exceeds 1 km. For 1 PeV, radio detection of cascades becomes more efficient than optical-based techniques; at such high energies, the sum of backgrounds from all other sources are expected to be smaller than signals by 10-100. This proposal is to co-deploy RICE radio receivers in the IceCube holes, thereby scaling up the sensitivity to neutrinos by at least two orders of magnitude, at minimal cost. Encouraged by support from the IceCube collaboration, the project will instrument the radio array for coincident (RICE + IceCube) electromagnetic cascade detection. Fast hardware (to be installed in 2003-2004) will allow microsecond time-scale elimination of the surface anthropogenic background, which has dominated triggers in the past. RICE data from the last four years have allowed the most detailed study of in situ radio detection systematics thus far, as presented in two recent publications on the electrodynamics of the expected radio frequency pulse, and two publications on RICE simulation and calibration and limits on the neutrino flux. By deploying three radio receivers per hole, it will also be possible to conduct world-class, in situ radio-glaciology measurements, in addition to astrophysics. The results on the first in situ measurements of the polar ice dielectric constant are currently being prepared for journal submission. Maximizing economy has required that much of the workload falls on students. Currently, half of the current RICE authors are undergrads; three RICE undergrads have been recipients of prestigious Goldwater Scholarships, five RICE undergrads have traveled to the South Pole since the first deployments in 1999-2000. In recognition of the broader impact of the RICE experiment on the "non-professional" community, prestigious teaching and lecturing opportunities have been extended to RICE faculty, offering more opportunities for recruiting and publicity.

批准冰立方项目钻冰孔（将于2004-2005年开始）提供了一个单一的（不重复的）科学机会。建造中微子探测器的最大智力价值在于，在新的能量体系中使用新技术来发现尚未发现的奥秘。RICE（Radio Ice Cherenkov Experiment）的主要目标类似于更大的阿曼达实验-两者都试图通过检测与物质相互作用产生的Cherenkov辐射来测量高能中微子。阿曼达是针对穿透TeV μ子的探测进行优化的，RICE是为了探测由高能（PeV级）电子引发的紧凑电磁级联，产生宽带切伦科夫辐射。幸运的是，在这样的无线电波长的场衰减长度超过1公里。对于1 PeV，级联的无线电检测变得比基于光学的技术更有效;在如此高的能量下，来自所有其他来源的背景的总和预计将比信号小10-100。这项提议是在冰立方洞中共同部署RICE无线电接收器，从而以最小的成本将中微子的灵敏度提高至少两个数量级。在IceCube合作的支持下，该项目将为无线电阵列提供仪器，用于重合（RICE + IceCube）电磁级联检测。快速硬件（将于2003-2004年安装）将允许在微秒时间尺度上消除地表人为背景，这在过去一直是主要的触发因素。RICE数据从过去四年允许最详细的研究，在现场无线电探测系统，迄今为止，在最近的两个出版物的电动力学的预期射频脉冲，和两个出版物的RICE模拟和校准和限制中微子通量。通过在每个洞部署三个无线电接收器，除了天体物理学之外，还可以进行世界级的现场无线电冰川学测量。目前正在编写极地冰介电常数的第一次现场测量结果，以提交期刊。经济最大化要求大部分工作量福尔斯落在学生身上。目前，目前RICE的作者中有一半是本科生;三名RICE本科生获得了著名的戈德华特奖学金，五名RICE本科生自1999-2000年首次部署以来前往南极。在认识到水稻实验对“非专业”社区的更广泛的影响，著名的教学和讲课机会已扩大到水稻教师，提供更多的招聘和宣传机会。