Dark matter searches and fundamental neutrino measurements with IceCube-DeepCore and PINGU

使用 IceCube-DeepCore 和 PINGU 进行暗物质搜索和基本中微子测量

• 批准号: SAPPJ-2014-00030
• 负责人: Grant, Darren
• 金额: $ 12.13万
• 依托单位: University of Alberta
• 依托单位国家: 加拿大
• 项目类别: Subatomic Physics Envelope - Project
• 财政年份: 2014
• 资助国家: 加拿大
• 起止时间: 2014-01-01 至 2015-12-31
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nserc-crsng.gc.ca/ase-oro/Details-Detailles_eng.asp?id=568028
• 关键词: Dark; matter; searches; fundamental; neutrino

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, located at South Pole Station Antarctica, is the world's largest neutrino detector. Optimized for neutrino energies between a few hundred GeV and tens of PeV, it is the premier facility for study of high energy neutrinos and indirect cosmological dark matter searches. In 2008 the original design for IceCube was augmented with a low-energy extension, called DeepCore, that reduced the threshold for the observatory to approximately 10 GeV. The low-energy threshold of DeepCore is achieved with additional instrumentation concentrated in the deepest region of IceCube. Utilizing the standard IceCube array as a 375 m thick active veto permits effective removal of the otherwise significant cosmic ray muon backgrounds from the DeepCore data stream to obtain a clean neutrino signal between 10 and 200 GeV. This energy range represents a particular window of interest for precision studies of neutrino oscillations and indirect searches for dark matter. Given that understanding the fundamental nature of dark matter and neutrinos is at the forefront of discovery in particle astrophysics, the physics program of DeepCore, which is now reaching its full sensitivity, is well poised to provide significant near future impact for central questions of the field. In addition, a potential future infill detector array in the DeepCore region called PINGU (Precision IceCube Next Generation Upgrade) is being designed to exploit the large statistical sample of atmospheric neutrinos in the multimegaton instrumented volume to provide a world's first definitive measurement of the neutrino mass hierarchy. Requested in the proposal will be funding to support the core IceCube-DeepCore analysis activities and commence development of the PINGU detector. The current IceCube Canada groups include 2 continuing PhD graduate students and 4 undergraduate researchers. Support for a postdoctoral fellow, and additional graduate and undergraduate researchers will be requested. Included in this proposal will be travel expenses to facilitate the group's role in this unique international collaboration, and common fund contributions.

位于南极洲南极站的冰立方中微子天文台是世界上最大的中微子探测器。它的中微子能量在几百GeV到几十PeV之间，是研究高能中微子和间接宇宙暗物质搜索的首选设备。2008年，冰立方的原始设计被称为“深核”（DeepCore）的低能量扩展部分所增强，将天文台的阈值降低到大约10 GeV。DeepCore的低能量阈值是通过集中在冰立方最深处的额外仪器实现的。利用标准冰立方阵列作为375米厚的主动否决，可以有效地从DeepCore数据流中去除其他重要的宇宙射线μ介子背景，从而获得10至200 GeV之间的干净中微子信号。这个能量范围为中微子振荡的精确研究和暗物质的间接搜索提供了一个特别的兴趣窗口。鉴于了解暗物质和中微子的基本性质是粒子天体物理学发现的前沿，DeepCore的物理项目现在已经达到了它的全部灵敏度，很有可能在不久的将来对该领域的核心问题产生重大影响。此外，在DeepCore区域，一个潜在的未来填充探测器阵列被称为PINGU（精确冰立方下一代升级），用于利用大气中微子的大型统计样本，在数百万吨的仪器体积中提供世界上第一个中微子质量层次的明确测量。提案中要求的资金将用于支持核心IceCube-DeepCore分析活动，并开始开发PINGU探测器。目前加拿大冰立方小组包括2名在读博士研究生和4名本科生研究人员。支持一名博士后，以及额外的研究生和本科生研究人员。这项提议将包括旅费，以促进该集团在这一独特的国际合作中发挥作用，以及共同基金捐款。