WoU-MMA: Demonstrating Ultrahigh-Energy-Neutrino Observations with Compact Air-Shower-Imaging Telescopes

WoU-MMA：利用紧凑型空气簇射成像望远镜演示超高能中微子观测

• 批准号: 2112769
• 负责人: Nepomuk Otte
• 金额: $ 82.31万
• 依托单位: Georgia Tech Research Corporation
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 2021
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 2021-09-01 至 2024-08-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=2112769&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: WoU; MMA; Demonstrating; Ultrahigh; Energy

The discovery of a new window with which to observe the Universe, whether X-ray, gamma-ray, or gravitational waves, has provided transformative impact on the fields of astrophysics and particle astrophysics. The most recent new messengers observed are high-energy astrophysical neutrinos, now detected to approximately 10 peta-electron-Volts in energy. While the sources of these neutrinos are yet unknown, they are fully expected to be linked to the most extreme cosmic ray accelerators, implying that ultra-high-energy (UHE) neutrinos that far exceed the current observed energies must exist. The detection of UHE neutrinos remains an outstanding challenge for the field but hold the potential to answer some longstanding questions, including the sources of the most energetic particle in the Universe, how these cosmic accelerators behave, and large-scale evolution of the Universe. The Trinity project aims to open the window to UHE neutrinos by utilizing advancements of air Chereknov telescope techniques, and this award facilitates the development and deployment of the first demonstrator instrument. The project provides several opportunities to train the next generation of scientists and engineers; in particular undergraduate students will significantly contribute to the design and construction of the proposed instrument, gaining hands-on and real-world experience. The awarded program also furthers the development of novel light sensors based on silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) technology that have a broad range of applications from medical imaging to LIDARs for automotive driving.UHE neutrinos must exist but detecting them is an extraordinary challenge. Neutrinos in general are elusive particles that require monitoring large volumes of water, ice, or atmosphere. The primary task in their detection is to achieve a scalable instrument with the highest possible sensitivity for the lowest possible cost. The Trinity design is a system of air-shower imaging Cherenkov telescope that aims to realize these goals. As a first step in demonstrating this approach, a one-square meter (5 degree x 5 degree) air-shower imaging telescope with a SiPM camera will be developed, installed and operated at Frisco Peak in Utah. The telescope will image upward-going particle showers and search for those that result when a UHE tau neutrino enters the Earth under a shallow angle, interacts, and produces a tau lepton that emerges from the ground and decays in the atmosphere, a technique known as Earth-skimming. The project's objectives are to realize the crucial steps to advance this technique towards the first detection of UHE neutrinos and introduce a new messenger to the extreme Universe. They include: demonstrate the long-term stability and reliability of the detection technique, the light-sensor and camera technology and remote operation of the telescope; and the study of background events and the advancement of analysis techniques. This project advances the goals of the NSF Windows on the Universe Big Idea.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.

一个新的窗口的发现，观察宇宙，无论是X射线，伽马射线，或引力波，提供了天体物理学和粒子天体物理学领域的变革性影响。 最近观测到的新信使是高能天体物理中微子，现在检测到的能量约为10千万亿电子伏特。 虽然这些中微子的来源尚不清楚，但它们完全可能与最极端的宇宙射线加速器有关，这意味着必须存在远远超过目前观测到的能量的超高能量（UHE）中微子。 UHE中微子的探测仍然是该领域的一个突出挑战，但有可能回答一些长期存在的问题，包括宇宙中最具能量的粒子的来源，这些宇宙加速器的行为以及宇宙的大规模演化。 Trinity项目旨在通过利用空气Cherekov望远镜技术的进步打开UHE中微子的窗口，该奖项促进了第一台演示仪器的开发和部署。 该项目为培养下一代科学家和工程师提供了几个机会;特别是本科生将为拟议仪器的设计和建造做出重大贡献，获得实践和现实世界的经验。 获奖项目还进一步开发了基于硅光电倍增管（SiPM）技术的新型光传感器，这些光传感器具有从医学成像到汽车驾驶激光雷达的广泛应用。UHE中微子必须存在，但检测它们是一个非凡的挑战。 中微子通常是难以捉摸的粒子，需要监测大量的水，冰或大气。 其检测的主要任务是以尽可能低的成本获得具有尽可能高的灵敏度的可扩展仪器。Trinity设计是一个空气簇射成像切伦科夫望远镜系统，旨在实现这些目标。 作为演示这一方法的第一步，将在犹他州的弗里斯科峰开发、安装和运行一个带有SiPM相机的一平方米（5度x5度）空气簇射成像望远镜。 该望远镜将对向上的粒子簇射进行成像，并搜索当UHE tau中微子以浅角度进入地球时产生的粒子簇射，相互作用，并产生从地面出现并在大气中衰变的tau轻子，这种技术被称为地球掠过。该项目的目标是实现关键步骤，推动这项技术首次探测UHE中微子，并向极端宇宙引入新的信使。 它们包括：演示探测技术、光传感器和照相机技术以及望远镜的远程操作的长期稳定性和可靠性;以及背景事件研究和分析技术的进步。该项目推进了NSF宇宙大创意窗口的目标。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。