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，因为它们与中间物质的相互作用很弱，因此可以用来探测遥远的宇宙。这些超高能中微子中的一小部分但可观测到的通量，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。对这些宇宙起源的中微子的观测探索了宇宙的结构和演化，并在超出标准模型的能量下测试物理。利用大量的射电透明冰，已经在南极洲实施了几项开创性的努力来探测这些高能中微子。超高能中微子穿过致密的南极冰层时会产生粒子级联，发出可观察到的无线电波。该奖项将支持开发一种新的方法，用于基于无线电干涉测量来检测中微子相互作用的这一特征。芝加哥大学的团队将开发、部署和测试一种地面干涉相控阵，以测量中微子诱导的无线电辐射。该阵列将与位于南极的现有阿斯基恩无线电阵列(ARA)实验相结合。该奖项还将支持与阿德勒天文馆合作的公众推广工作。芝加哥大学团队将为相控阵设计和制造波束形成触发器硬件，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。利用来自综合空间站的数据，他们将评估探测器设计并获得科学数据，以帮助开发这项技术，用于更大规模的实验部署。