Unveiling the Ultra-High Energy Universe with Neutrinos

布莱恩·克拉克被授予NSF天文学和天体物理学博士后奖学金，在密歇根州立大学进行研究和教育计划。他将研究非常轻，非常具有穿透力的亚原子粒子，称为中微子。特别是，他的工作将涉及通过检测中微子与地球相互作用时产生的微弱无线电信号来设计和实施对超高能（UHE）中微子的搜索。他将开发从探测到的中微子中提取重要信息的技术，例如它们的能量，它们来自宇宙的方向，以及中微子的类型，称为中微子味。他将与南极现有的中微子探测器合作，并帮助开发未来更大的射电中微子观测站。除了这项研究，他还将指导参与暑期研究项目的本科生。他将监督与他的工作相关的研究项目，并将指导学生的专业发展。该项目如果成功，将产生超高能（UHE）中微子的探测，它像引力波一样，是隐藏在电磁辐射中的过程的探测器，因此它将推进NSF宇宙大创意窗口的目标。 拟议中的科学计划将产生世界上最灵敏的搜索能量超过100 PeV的中微子扩散通量，并可能导致UHE中微子的首次观测。能量重建将允许精确测量UHE中微子的通量，并确定它们的整体光谱。方向重建将使点源的搜索成为可能，而味的确定将使在宇宙尺度的基线上测试中微子振荡成为可能。他的工作的教育部分将通过一个既定的夏季研究计划为年轻研究人员提供建议和指导，从而帮助促进更有能力和更多样化的STEM劳动力。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

Brian Clark is awarded an NSF Astronomy and Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship to conduct a program of research and education at Michigan State University. He will study very light, very penetrating subatomic particles called neutrinos. In particular, his work will involve designing and implementing searches for ultra-high energy (UHE) neutrinos by detecting the faint radio signal produced when a neutrino interacts with the Earth. He will develop techniques for extracting important information from detected neutrinos, such as their energy, the direction in the universe they came from, and the type of neutrino, called neutrino flavor. He will work with existing neutrino detectors at the South Pole and help to develop a future larger Radio Neutrino Observatory. Alongside this research, he will mentor undergraduate students who are involved in a summer research program. He will supervise research projects related to his work and will guide the students in their professional development. The project, if successful, will yield the detection of Ultra-High Energy (UHE) neutrinos, which, like gravitational waves, are probes of processes hidden to electromagnetic radiation, and it would thus advance the goals of the NSF Windows on the Universe Big Idea. The proposed scientific program will generate the world's most sensitive search for a diffuse flux of neutrinos with energies above 100 PeV, and potentially lead to the first observation of UHE neutrinos. Energy reconstruction will allow a precise measurement of the flux of UHE neutrinos and determine their overall spectrum. Direction reconstruction will enable a search for point sources, and flavor determination will make possible tests of neutrino oscillations on cosmic-scale baselines. The educational component of his work will be to advise and mentor young researchers through an established summer research program, thus helping to promote a more capable and diverse STEM workforce.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.