Neutrino Astrophysics at the University of Maryland

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

Embedded deep in the ice cap at the South Pole, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory (ICNO) is the world's largest and most sensitive high energy neutrino telescope. It is a 1 billion-ton detector using the Antarctic ice as a detection medium for high energy atmospheric and astrophysical neutrinos. Most of the neutrinos observed by IceCube exhibit energies in the range expected for atmospheric neutrinos originating from decays of particles produced in extensive air showers by cosmic rays coming from nearby sectors of the Milky Way Galaxy. These may be used to measure the fundamental properties of neutrinos. At higher energies, astrophysical neutrinos are key probes of the high-energy universe. Because of their unique properties, neutrinos escape even dense regions, are not deflected by galactic or extra-galactic magnetic fields and traverse the photon-filled universe unhindered. Thus, neutrinos provide direct information about the dynamics and interiors of the powerful cosmic objects that may be the origins of high energy cosmic rays: supernovae, black holes, pulsars, active galactic nuclei and other extreme extragalactic phenomena. This particle astrophysics group has a record of providing research and educational opportunities for students and early career scientists, as well as engaging the public and K-12 students to share the wonder of science. The impact of this work spans significantly beyond the field of neutrino astrophysics to the broader scientific category of multi-messenger and multi-wavelength astrophysics. A key element of this broader impact is the ongoing effort to develop a robust real-time neutrino alert and response system for the broader community. The group plays an important role in the operation of the detector and management of the IceCube and Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) collaborations. This award will support continued analysis of IceCube data focusing on searches for neutrino emission from GRBs, real-time neutrino searches with increased alerts to the astronomical community, and searches for extremely high energy cosmogenic neutrinos. The search for cosmogenic neutrino signals in IceCube remains a critical area of scientific importance, where additional work is required to disentangle the observed astrophysical neutrino flux from potential cosmogenic signals. Research efforts here overlap with their work on the ARA radio detector and its mission to detect and measure cosmogenic neutrinos.