Proposal to Develop Station Technology for the ARIANNA Ultra-High Energy Neutrino Detector

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。该提案寻求资金，以继续调查南极洲麦克默多站附近的罗斯冰架的非凡特性，以探测中微子在罕见地与冰中原子核碰撞时产生无线电发射。冰盖对无线电频率的电磁辐射是令人印象深刻的透明的，而冰架下方的水-冰边界就像一面好镜子，可以反射任何向下方向的中微子相互作用产生的无线电信号。这些特性在最近对摩尔？S湾的研究中通过美国国家科学基金会的SGER奖得到了证实。此外，还发现该站点的背景噪声水平在感兴趣的频段内相当适中。模拟显示，如果将建立完整的射电探测器阵列，则具有极好的能量和角度分辨率--因为事件通常包含在地面站下的冰层中。建议采取下一个合乎逻辑的步骤，通过在现场设计、建造和部署两个自主探测器站来实现Arianna阵列概念，以评估整个阵列的大规模可行性、系统稳健性和较长时间内的环境噪声环境。每个站由八个位于雪面下方的线极化天线组成，向下定向，排列成直径约6米的八角形。附近的Minna Braff Range保护该站点免受来自麦克默多站的重大人为无线电噪声的影响。与此同时，该地点靠近麦克默多，为后勤支持提供了许多合适的选择。对学生的持续依赖为这项拟议的研究提供了更广泛的影响，并使这一努力在其教育使命中站稳了脚跟。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The proposal seeks funding to continue investigations of remarkable properties of the Ross Ice Shelf near McMurdo Station, Antarctica, for the detection of neutrinos as they cause radio emission upon their rare collisions with the atomic nuclei in the ice. The ice sheet is impressively transparent to electromagnetic radiation at radio frequencies and the water-ice boundary below the shelf behaves like a good mirror to reflect radio signals from neutrino interactions in any downward direction. These properties were confirmed in recent studies of the at Moore?s Bay through the NSF's SGER award. Moreover, it was found that the background noise level at this site is quite modest in the frequency band of interest. Simulations show excellent energy and angular resolution if the full array of radio detectors will be built - because the events are typically contained within the ice beneath the surface stations. It is proposes to take the next logical step toward the realization of the ARIANNA array concept by designing, constructing, and deploying two autonomous detector stations at the site to assess the overall array large-scale feasibility, system robustness, and the ambient noise environment over an extended period of time. Each station consists of eight linearly polarized antennas residing just beneath the snow surface, oriented downwards and arranged in an octagon with ~6m diameter. Nearby Minna Bluff range protects the site from significant anthropogenic radio noise coming from McMurdo Station. At the same time, the site's close proximity to McMurdo provides a number of suitable options for logistical support. Continued reliance on students provides a broader impact of this proposed research and firmly grounds this effort in its educational mission.