Collaborative Research: Askaryan Radio Array Ultra-high Energy Neutrino Detector

在高能(10PeV)下，中微子可以通过阿斯基恩效应在高密度、射频(RF)透明介质中被最有效地探测到。地理南极覆盖着丰富的冷冰，具有非凡的射频清晰度，是开发这种方法的几个开创性努力的所在地。在过去的几年里，一个分两个阶段的实验？在南极站启动了旨在最终积累数百个高能GZK中微子的阿斯基恩射电阵列(ARA)，结合了IceCube项目的钻探和后勤经验，以及赖斯实验的现场射频经验和长时间气球项目ANITA的亚纳秒级数据采集。ARA第一阶段(2010-2013)的目标是部署几个试验床类型的空间站，这些空间站使用由NSF资助的MRI奖设计和建造的设备。下一阶段是继续与这些试验台站进行观测，以积累关于南极冰盖上层的射频特性的知识，并为未来可部署的冰内站开发可靠的硬件和软件。最近部署的三个试验台目前正在运行，正在收集数据。虽然三个试验台的部署总体上是成功的，但在37个试验台的完整阵列部署计划中发现了一些问题。这项奖励是为了提供过渡性资金，使部署的试验台继续运行12个月，同时项目团队修改他们的提案，为全阵列部署设计分阶段的方法。

At high energies ( 10 PeV), neutrinos can be most efficiently detected in dense, radio frequency (RF) transparent media via the Askaryan effect. The abundant cold ice covering the geographic South Pole, with its exceptional RF clarity, has been host to several pioneering efforts to develop this approach. Within the last years, a two-phased experiment ? the Askaryan Radio Array (ARA), designed to ultimately accumulate hundreds of high-energy GZK neutrinos - has been initiated at the South Pole Station, combining the drilling and logistics experience of the IceCube project, as well as the in-situ RF experience of the RICE experiment and the sub-nanosecond-scale data acquisition of the long-duration balloon project ANITA. The goal of ARA's Phase 1 (2010?2013) was to make deployment of a few testbed-type stations that used equipment designed and built under the NSF-funded MRI award. The next phase is to continue observations with these testbed stations to accumulate knowledge about RF properties of the upper layers of the ice sheet at South Pole and develop reliable hardware and software for deployable in-ice stations in the future. Recently-deployed three testbed stations are currently operational collecting data. Although the deployment of three testbed stations was generally successful, a number of problems were found in the full, 37-stations array deployment plans. This award is to provide bridge funds to keep the deployed testbed stations operational for another 12 months, while the project team reworks their proposal devising a staged approach for the full array deployment.