Radio Detection of the Highest Energy Neutrinos with a Ground-Based Interferometric Phased Array

利用地基干涉相控阵对最高能量中微子进行无线电探测

• 批准号: 1607555
• 负责人: Abigail Vieregg
• 金额: $ 48.12万
• 依托单位: University of Chicago
• 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: 2016-09-15 至 2019-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1607555&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Radio; Detection; Highest; Energy; Neutrinos

Ultra-high-energy neutrinos are unique astrophysical messengers as they interact only weakly with intervening matter and can therefore be used to probe the distant universe. A small but observable flux of these ultra-high-energy neutrinos are expected to be produced in interactions between high-energy "cosmic ray" charged particles traveling through the Universe and Cosmic Microwave Background photons. Observations of these cosmogenic neutrinos probe the structure and evolution of the Universe and test physics at energies beyond the standard models. Utilizing the large volume of radio transparent ice, several pioneering efforts to detect these high energies neutrinos have been implemented in Antarctica. Ultra-high-energy neutrinos traveling through the dense Antarctic ice generate cascades of particles that emit observable radio waves. This award will support the development of a new method for detecting this signature of neutrino interaction based on radio interferometry. The University of Chicago group will develop, deploy, and test a ground-based interferometric phased array to measure the neutrino-induced radio emission. This array will be integrated with the existing Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) experiment located at the South Pole. The award will also support public outreach efforts in partnership with the Adler Planetarium.The University of Chicago group will design and fabricate beam-forming trigger hardware for the phased array, integrate the new array with the existing ARA station hardware in their local laboratories, and then deploy the instrument to the South Pole and perform in situ tests. With data from the integrated stations, they will evaluate the detector design and acquire scientific data to help develop this technology for a larger-scale experimental deployment.

超高能中微子是独特的天体物理信使，因为它们与介入物质的相互作用很弱，因此可以用来探测遥远的宇宙。 这些超高能中微子的小但可观测的通量预计将在穿过宇宙的高能“宇宙射线”带电粒子与宇宙微波背景光子之间的相互作用中产生。 对这些宇宙成因中微子的观测探测了宇宙的结构和演化，并测试了超出标准模型能量的物理学。 利用大量的无线电透明的冰，在南极洲已经实施了几项探测这些高能中微子的开创性努力。 超高能量的中微子穿过南极密集的冰层，产生了一系列粒子，发出了可观测到的无线电波。 该奖项将支持开发一种新方法，用于基于无线电干涉测量法检测中微子相互作用的这种特征。 芝加哥大学的研究小组将开发、部署和测试一个地基干涉相控阵，以测量中微子引起的无线电发射。 该阵列将与位于南极的现有Askaryan无线电阵列实验相结合。 该奖项还将支持与阿德勒天文馆合作开展的公共宣传工作。芝加哥大学的团队将设计和制造相控阵的波束形成触发硬件，将新阵列与当地实验室现有的ARA站硬件集成，然后将仪器部署到南极并进行现场测试。 利用综合台站的数据，他们将评估探测器设计并获取科学数据，以帮助开发这项技术，进行更大规模的实验部署。