Searches for Astrophysical Neutrino Sources with IceCube

使用 IceCube 搜索天体物理中微子源

• 批准号: 1607132
• 负责人: Naoko Kurahashi Neilson
• 金额: $ 47.26万
• 依托单位: Drexel University
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Continuing Grant
• 财政年份: 2016
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2016-08-15 至 2020-07-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1607132&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Searches; Astrophysical; Neutrino; Sources; IceCube

Embedded deep in the ice cap at the South Pole, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory (ICNO) is the world's largest and most sensitive high energy neutrino telescope. It is a 1 billion-ton detector using the Antarctic ice as a detection medium for high energy atmospheric and astrophysical neutrinos. Most of the neutrinos observed by IceCube exhibit energies in the range expected for atmospheric neutrinos originating from decays of particles produced in extensive air showers by cosmic rays coming from nearby sectors of the Milky Way Galaxy. These may be used to measure the fundamental properties of neutrinos. At higher energies, astrophysical neutrinos are key probes of the high-energy universe. Because of their unique properties, neutrinos escape even dense regions, are not deflected by galactic or extra-galactic magnetic fields and traverse the photon-filled universe unhindered. Thus, neutrinos provide direct information about the dynamics and interiors of the powerful cosmic objects that may be the origins of high energy cosmic rays: supernovae, black holes, pulsars, active galactic nuclei and other extreme extragalactic phenomena. This award will provide funding for an astroparticle neutrino program at Drexel University. The goal is to resolve neutrino sources by developing new techniques and analyses to be applied to a new analysis in the southern sky, a hemisphere that has traditionally been a challenge for IceCube because of backgrounds created in the atmosphere reaching the detector without the Earth to act as a shield (as is the case for the northern sky studies).The IceCube experiment is well suited for making a broader impact given its geographical location and the diverse yet accessible science topics it covers. The program outlined here will continue to provide a wide range of opportunities for undergraduate research. The PI will continue her mentoring efforts through the physics department, and external groups such as the Philadelphia chapter of the Association for Women In Science. She has a long record of commitment to public outreach that will be applied to the many opportunities that Drexel University and the greater Philadelphia region offer.The group is planning an innovative approach to perform the most sensitive search of Galactic sources to date. It will also perform two new analyses: one focused on measuring the large scale cosmic ray anisotropy in the northern sky using atmospheric neutrinos, and another on testing a high-energy neutrino emission model from the cores of Active Galactic Nuclei (AGNs). The PI's longer term interest is to develop neutrino astronomy so that neutrinos can become an integral part of multi-messenger astronomy.

埋藏在南极冰盖深处的冰立方中微子天文台(ICNO)是世界上最大、最灵敏的高能中微子望远镜。它是一个10亿吨重的探测器，使用南极冰层作为高能大气和天体物理中微子的探测介质。冰立方观测到的大多数中微子的能量都在大气中微子的预期范围内，这些中微子是由来自银河系附近扇区的宇宙射线在大范围的空气骤雨中产生的粒子衰变而产生的。这些可以用来测量中微子的基本性质。在较高能量下，天体物理中微子是研究高能宇宙的关键探测器。由于其独特的性质，中微子甚至可以逃脱密集区域，不受银河系或银河系外磁场的偏转，畅通无阻地穿越充满光子的宇宙。因此，中微子提供了关于强大宇宙物体的动力学和内部的直接信息，这些物体可能是高能宇宙射线的起源：超新星、黑洞、脉冲星、活动星系核和其他极端的河外现象。该奖项将为德雷克塞尔大学的天体粒子中微子项目提供资金。其目标是通过开发新的技术和分析来解决中微子源问题，并将其应用于在南半球进行的新分析。南半球传统上一直是冰立方面临的挑战，因为在没有地球作为屏蔽的情况下，大气中产生的背景到达探测器时会到达探测器(北方天空研究就是这样)。冰立方实验非常适合于产生更广泛的影响，因为它的地理位置和它涵盖的各种但可进入的科学主题。这里概述的课程将继续为本科生的研究提供广泛的机会。PI将通过物理系和外部团体，如科学女性协会费城分会，继续她的指导工作。她长期致力于公共宣传，这将应用于德雷克塞尔大学和大费城地区提供的许多机会。该团队正在计划一种创新的方法，以执行迄今为止最敏感的银河系来源搜索。它还将执行两项新的分析：一项是利用大气中微子测量北部天空中的大尺度宇宙线各向异性，另一项是测试活动星系核(AGN)核心的高能中微子发射模型。PI的长期兴趣是发展中微子天文学，使中微子成为多信使天文学不可或缺的一部分。