On radio detection of ultrahigh energy neutrinos in Antarctic ice

Journal Article · Thu Feb 01 04:00:00 EST 1996 · Physical Review, D

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.53.1684· OSTI ID:278593

Frichter, G M; Ralston, J P; McKay, D W ^[1]

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1. Department of Physics and Astronomy, and Kansas Institute for Theoretical and Computational Science, University of Kansas, Lawrence, Kansas 66045 (United States)

Interactions of ultrahigh energy neutrinos of cosmological origin in large volumes of dense, radiotransparent media can be detected via coherent Cherenkov emission from accompanying electromagnetic showers. Antarctic ice meets the requirements for an efficient detection medium for a radio frequency neutrino telescope. We carefully estimate the sensitivity of realistic antennas embedded deep in the ice to 100 MHz{endash}1 GHz signals generated by predicted neutrino fluxes from active galactic nuclei. Our main conclusion is that a {ital single radio receiver} can probe an {approximately}1 km{sup 3} volume for events with primary energy near 2 PeV and that the total number of events registered would be roughly 200 to 400 yr{sup {minus}}{sup 1} in our most conservative estimate. An array of such receivers would increase sensitivity dramatically. A radio neutrino telescope could directly observe and test our understanding of the most powerful particle accelerators in the Universe, simultaneously testing the standard theory of particle physics at unprecedented energies. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}

• Research Organization: University of Kansas
• DOE Contract Number: FG02-85ER40214
• OSTI ID: 278593
• Journal Information: Physical Review, D, Journal Name: Physical Review, D Journal Issue: 3 Vol. 53; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

66 PHYSICS
ACCELERATORS
CHERENKOV RADIATION
DETECTION
NEUTRINOS
RADIO TELESCOPES
RELATIVISTIC RANGE