IceCube Startup and Construction Project

University Of Wisconsin-Madison, Madison WI

Investigators

Abstract

Phase I activities associated with construction of a deep-ice neutrino detector known as IceCube (for cubic kilometer detector) will be carried out. This is an MREFC project. The activities include: 1) construction of a movable enhanced hot water drill system (EHWDS), including the needed drill camp facilities, suitable for drilling 45 cm diameter, 2.5 km deep holes in the ice at the South Pole at a rate of at least 16 holes per drilling season in a fuel efficient manner requiring 8000 gallons of fuel per hole; 2) construction of specialized detectors for in-ice applications; 3) data acquisition and data handling hardware and software development; 4) system engineering for construction and deployment of the drill system and IceCube detector array; 5) testing of all systems; and 6) establishment of associated management system. This work will be carried out taking into consideration the need to operate this equipment reliably and safely in the extreme Antarctic environment. This Phase I work will set the stage for implementation of the full IceCube construction project for deployment of 80 strings of 64 optical modules (consisting of photomultiplier tubes and associated electronics) each that are to be inserted into the holes drilled using the EHWDS, frozen into the ice, and operated in conjunction with a corresponding data acquisition, data handling, and data analysis system. The IceCube detector array will open a new window on the universe and its origin and evolution by its ability to detect high energy neutrinos from cosmological events. Education will be a part of the overall IceCube project, but is not a part of this Phase I award.