Analysis of IceCube Data at UW-Madison 2016-2019

2016-2019 年威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校 IceCube 数据分析

• 批准号: 1607644
• 负责人: Francis Halzen
• 金额: $ 372万
• 依托单位: University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 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: 2016-09-01 至 2019-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=1607644&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: Analysis; IceCube; Data; UW; Madison

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 provides funding for the scientists at the University of Wisconsin-Madison for the scientific analysis of data taken with the IceCube neutrino detector. The study of neutrino oscillations and the ongoing correlation studies between the arrival directions of cosmic neutrinos and high-energy photons are only two of a large range of current analyses, illustrating that discoveries are at best in initial stages.The mystique of the South Pole environment and the compelling science of IceCube are an alluring mix. IceCube results have already enhanced scientific and technological understanding on many levels and have inspired the innovative capacity of a new generation of American scientists and engineers. The Madison group will continue to make IceCube science and resources available to existing education and outreach programs with a proven record of success. The group is also a partner of a new program, called "El Universo es Tuyo" (the Universe is Yours), to engage the Hispanic community in and around Madison in learning about research and STEM careers in astronomy and astrophysics.DeepCore, a densely instrumented infill array in the bottom half of the IceCube detector, has lowered the sensitivity threshold to 10 GeV. The Madison group participates in the development of analysis techniques that specialize to DeepCore data. They will result in improved measurements of the atmospheric oscillation parameters. The accumulating cosmic neutrino events indicate an enhancement of the flux below 100 TeV that may hint at another component in the cosmic neutrino spectrum.

冰立方中微子天文台（ICNO）深埋在南极冰盖中，是世界上最大、最灵敏的高能中微子望远镜。它是一个10亿吨的探测器，利用南极冰作为探测高能大气和天体物理中微子的介质。冰立方观测到的大多数中微子的能量都在预期的大气中微子的能量范围内，这些中微子是由来自银河系附近部分的宇宙射线在广泛的空气阵雨中产生的粒子衰变产生的。这些可以用来测量中微子的基本性质。在更高的能量下，天体物理中微子是高能宇宙的关键探测器。由于其独特的性质，中微子甚至可以逃离密集的区域，不受星系或星系外磁场的偏转，并且可以不受阻碍地穿越充满光子的宇宙。因此，中微子提供了关于强大的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。该奖项为威斯康星大学麦迪逊分校的科学家提供资金，用于对冰立方中微子探测器采集的数据进行科学分析。对中微子振荡的研究和正在进行的宇宙中微子到达方向与高能光子之间的相关性研究只是当前大量分析中的两个，说明发现充其量处于初始阶段。南极环境的神秘和冰立方令人信服的科学是一个诱人的组合。冰立方的成果已经在许多层面上加强了科学和技术的理解，并激发了新一代美国科学家和工程师的创新能力。麦迪逊小组将继续为现有的教育和推广项目提供冰立方科学和资源，并取得成功。该组织也是一个名为“宇宙是你的”（El Universo es Tuyo）的新项目的合作伙伴，该项目旨在让麦迪逊及其周边的西班牙裔社区了解天文学和天体物理学方面的研究和STEM职业。DeepCore是冰立方探测器下半部分的密集仪器填充阵列，已经将灵敏度阈值降低到10 GeV。麦迪逊小组参与了专门针对DeepCore数据的分析技术的开发。它们将改进对大气振荡参数的测量。累积的宇宙中微子事件表明，在100 TeV以下的通量增强，这可能暗示宇宙中微子谱中的另一个成分。