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

冰立方中微子天文台位于南极南极站，是世界上最大的中微子探测器。它的中微子能量在几百GeV到数十PeV之间进行了优化，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，冰立方的原始设计增加了一个名为DeepCore的低能量扩展部分，将天文台的门槛降低到大约10GeV。DeepCore的低能量阈值是通过集中在IceCube最深区域的额外仪器实现的。利用标准的冰立方阵列作为375米厚的主动否决权，可以有效地从DeepCore数据流中去除其他重要的宇宙线介子背景，以获得10到200 GeV之间的干净中微子信号。这一能量范围为精确研究中微子振荡和间接寻找暗物质提供了一个特别值得关注的窗口。鉴于理解暗物质和中微子的基本性质处于粒子天体物理学发现的前沿，DeepCore的物理计划现在正达到其全部敏感性，已经做好了准备，将在不久的将来为该领域的核心问题提供重大影响。此外，DeepCore区域未来潜在的填充探测器阵列名为Pingu(精密冰立方下一代升级)，正在设计中，以利用多兆吨仪器体积中的大气中微子的大统计样本，以提供世界上第一个对中微子质量等级的明确测量。提案中要求的资金将用于支持IceCube-DeepCore核心分析活动，并开始开发Pingu探测器。目前的冰立方加拿大小组包括2名继续博士研究生和4名本科生研究人员。将要求支持一名博士后研究员，以及额外的研究生和本科生研究人员。这项提议将包括差旅费用，以促进该小组在这一独特的国际合作中的作用，以及共同基金捐款。

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.