Collaborative Research: WoU-MMA: Askaryan Radio Array: The World's Forefront Neutrino Astrophysics Program from 100 PeV

这一奖项将推动超高能中微子天体物理学的前沿，利用南极站的阿斯基恩无线电阵列(ARA)试验台，超过100Peta电子伏特(PeV)，其数据集现在足够大，能够发现迄今探测到的最高能量中微子，或者在这一关键的能量制度中设置世界上最好的限制。这项研究将继续运行这一试验台实验，在未来三年内将数据集的规模扩大一倍，在不断增长的ARA数据库中简化中微子搜索，使用新探测到的宇宙线空气簇射校准中微子探测器的模拟，并在南极环境中测试下一代数据采集电子设备。ARA作为一个平台，招募年轻科学家进入STEM领域，并发展初级科学家，以从事下一代UHE中微子探测器的工作。该小组让中学生、本科生和研究生从事创新的中微子研究，并将为高中生开发一个新的大数据策略模块，使用ARA和冰立方中微子天文台的数据在大数据集中搜索罕见事件。ARA使用的无线电技术允许天体物理学扩展到这些UHE中微子。ARA正在为下一代中微子天文台的无线电组件奠定基础。ARA的中微子观测将限制任何全球最高能量宇宙射线源群体的性质，补充只对最高能量的局部源进行采样的宇宙线实验。探测到的任何事件都将是有史以来观测到的能量最高的中微子，无论是宇宙中的还是陆地上的，并且是第一次通过射频发射探测到中微子。这将是追求超高能中微子的重大事件，并将为未来设施的技术设计提供关键信息。这个项目推进了NSF宇宙大理想之窗的目标。这一奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This award will push the frontier of ultra-high-energy (UHE) neutrino astrophysics above 100 peta-electron-volts (PeV) with the Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) testbed at the South Pole Station, whose dataset is now large enough to enable either a discovery of the highest energy neutrinos ever detected or setting the world’s best constraints in this crucial energy regime. The study will continue operation of this testbed experiment, doubling the size of the dataset in the next three years, streamline neutrino searches in the growing ARA dataset, calibrate simulations of neutrino detectors using newly-detected cosmic ray air showers, and test next-generation data acquisition electronics in the South Pole environment. ARA serves as a platform for recruitment of young scientists into STEM fields, and the development of junior scientists to work on the next generation of UHE neutrino detectors. This group engages secondary-school, undergraduate and graduate students in innovative neutrino research, and will develop a new module for the Masterclass for high school students on big data strategies to search for rare events in large datasets, using data from ARA and from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory.The radio technique used by ARA allows astrophysics to extend to these UHE neutrinos. ARA is laying the groundwork for the radio component of the next generation of neutrino observatories. A neutrino observation from ARA will constrain the properties of any global population of sources of the highest energy cosmic rays, complementing cosmic ray experiments that sample only local sources at the highest energies. Any event detected would be the highest energy neutrino ever observed, cosmic or terrestrial, and be the first-ever detection of a neutrino via radio frequency emission. This would be a major event in the pursuit of UHE neutrinos, and would provide crucial information for the technical design of future facilities. 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.