Analysis of IceCube Data at UW-Madison 2013-2016

该奖项将继续为冰立方中微子探测器采集数据的科学分析提供资金。威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校的研究小组为改进最终探测器配置的校准和分析软件做出了广泛的努力，包括对冰的光学特性的理解进行了重大改进，从而改进了仪器。冰立方在建造过程中已经探测到30多万个大气中微子，其中一些中微子的能量比加速器产生的中微子能量高出3个数量级以上。DeepCore的建造将冰立方阵列填充在探测器下半部分非常透明的冰上，将阈值降低到10千兆电子伏特（GeV）。这立即导致在以前无法达到的能量上观测到大气中微子振荡，其统计显著性大于五个标准差。在能谱的另一端，随着冰立方有效面积的提高，测量已经达到了对河外宇宙射线与宇宙微波光子相互作用产生的中微子通量的灵敏度，从而创造了揭示其来源的新机会。冰立方的灵敏度已经达到了这样的水平，从一般的观点来看，如果它们确实分别是银河系和星系外宇宙射线的来源，它们必须观察超新星遗迹和伽马射线爆发。更广泛的影响：冰立方的成果将通过成果和经验的广泛传播，在许多层面上加强科学和技术的理解。冰立方是一类独特的项目，激发了新一代美国科学家和工程师的创新能力。该组织的方法是将冰立方的科学和资源提供给现有的教育和推广项目，并取得了成功的记录。

This award will provide continued funding for the scientific analysis of data taken with the IceCube neutrino detector. Extensive efforts by the University of Wisconsin - Madison group towards improving the calibrations and the analysis software for the final detector configuration, including implementing significant refinements of the understanding of the optical properties of the ice, have resulted in an improved instrument. IceCube has detected more than 300,000 atmospheric neutrinos during construction, some with energies that exceed by more than three orders of magnitude the energies of those produced with accelerator beams. The construction of DeepCore, an infill of the IceCube array over a significant instrumented volume of very clear ice in the bottom half of the detector, has lowered the threshold to 10 Gigaelectronvolts (GeV). This immediately resulted in the observation of atmospheric neutrino oscillations at energies previously inaccessible with statistical significance greater than five standard deviations. On the other end of the energy spectrum, with IceCube's improved effective area, measurements have reached sensitivity to the flux of neutrinos produced in the interactions of extragalactic cosmic rays with cosmic microwave photons, thus creating a new opportunity to reveal their sources. IceCube's sensitivity has reached a level where, from general arguments, they must observe supernova remnants and gamma-ray bursts if these are indeed the sources of the galactic and extragalactic cosmic rays, respectively.Broader Impacts: IceCube results will enhance scientific and technological understanding on many levels through broad dissemination of the results and experiences. IceCube is in a unique class of projects that inspire the innovative capacity of a new generation of American scientists and engineers. The group's approach has been to make IceCube science and resources available to existing education and outreach programs with a proven record of success.