The Design and Performance of IceCube DeepCore

The IceCube neutrino observatory in operation at the South Pole, Antarctica, comprises three distinct components: a large buried array for ultrahigh energy neutrino detection, a surface air shower array, and a new buried component called DeepCore. DeepCore was designed to lower the IceCube neutrino...

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Main Author: Collaboration, TI
Format: Journal article
Language:English
Published: 2011
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author Collaboration, TI
author_facet Collaboration, TI
author_sort Collaboration, TI
collection OXFORD
description The IceCube neutrino observatory in operation at the South Pole, Antarctica, comprises three distinct components: a large buried array for ultrahigh energy neutrino detection, a surface air shower array, and a new buried component called DeepCore. DeepCore was designed to lower the IceCube neutrino energy threshold by over an order of magnitude, to energies as low as about 10 GeV. DeepCore is situated primarily 2100 m below the surface of the icecap at the South Pole, at the bottom center of the existing IceCube array, and began taking physics data in May 2010. Its location takes advantage of the exceptionally clear ice at those depths and allows it to use the surrounding IceCube detector as a highly efficient active veto against the principal background of downward-going muons produced in cosmic-ray air showers. DeepCore has a module density roughly five times higher than that of the standard IceCube array, and uses photomultiplier tubes with a new photocathode featuring a quantum efficiency about 35% higher than standard IceCube PMTs. Taken together, these features of DeepCore will increase IceCube's sensitivity to neutrinos from WIMP dark matter annihilations, atmospheric neutrino oscillations, galactic supernova neutrinos, and point sources of neutrinos in the northern and southern skies. In this paper we describe the design and initial performance of DeepCore.
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spelling oxford-uuid:54c90d41-ea87-45af-a0a4-377aeba73b552022-03-26T16:39:59ZThe Design and Performance of IceCube DeepCoreJournal articlehttp://purl.org/coar/resource_type/c_dcae04bcuuid:54c90d41-ea87-45af-a0a4-377aeba73b55EnglishSymplectic Elements at Oxford2011Collaboration, TIThe IceCube neutrino observatory in operation at the South Pole, Antarctica, comprises three distinct components: a large buried array for ultrahigh energy neutrino detection, a surface air shower array, and a new buried component called DeepCore. DeepCore was designed to lower the IceCube neutrino energy threshold by over an order of magnitude, to energies as low as about 10 GeV. DeepCore is situated primarily 2100 m below the surface of the icecap at the South Pole, at the bottom center of the existing IceCube array, and began taking physics data in May 2010. Its location takes advantage of the exceptionally clear ice at those depths and allows it to use the surrounding IceCube detector as a highly efficient active veto against the principal background of downward-going muons produced in cosmic-ray air showers. DeepCore has a module density roughly five times higher than that of the standard IceCube array, and uses photomultiplier tubes with a new photocathode featuring a quantum efficiency about 35% higher than standard IceCube PMTs. Taken together, these features of DeepCore will increase IceCube's sensitivity to neutrinos from WIMP dark matter annihilations, atmospheric neutrino oscillations, galactic supernova neutrinos, and point sources of neutrinos in the northern and southern skies. In this paper we describe the design and initial performance of DeepCore.
spellingShingle Collaboration, TI
The Design and Performance of IceCube DeepCore
title The Design and Performance of IceCube DeepCore
title_full The Design and Performance of IceCube DeepCore
title_fullStr The Design and Performance of IceCube DeepCore
title_full_unstemmed The Design and Performance of IceCube DeepCore
title_short The Design and Performance of IceCube DeepCore
title_sort design and performance of icecube deepcore
work_keys_str_mv AT collaborationti thedesignandperformanceoficecubedeepcore
AT collaborationti designandperformanceoficecubedeepcore