WoU-MMA: IceCube Data Analysis in the U.S. 2025-2028

University Of Maryland, College Park, College Park MD

Investigators

Abstract

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory consists of a cubic kilometer of deep, clear glacial ice, embedded with specialized cameras. Located in Antarctica near the South Pole, IceCube has transformed the South Polar ice cap into a most unusual telescope; instead of sensing light, it makes an image of the sky using a subatomic particle called a neutrino. Neutrinos can travel through light years of steel without stopping, allowing us to peer into the dense cores of some of the most energetic objects in the universe, areas from which light cannot escape. Their presence gives us insight into the forces that power stars and galaxies. Since it was built, IceCube, the first telescope of its kind, has made a number of exciting discoveries. We have observed the first neutrinos from outside our galaxy and the first high energy neutrinos from our own Milky Way galaxy. We even have the ability to probe some of the secrets of neutrinos themselves, which could change our understanding of one of the most fundamental building blocks of our universe. IceCube scientists are always eager to share this knowledge with the general public through a number of activities, from school programs to reach young people, to radio and television productions to engage adult audiences. This grant allows us to continue to analyze these images, make new discoveries, and maintain the leadership of the United States in this new and exciting field of science. This grant provides funding for scientists at 12 U.S. institutions to analyze the rich dataset from the IceCube Neutrino Observatory through August 2026. The IceCube detector, completed in 2011, operates continuously with 99% uptime and collects neutrino data from GeV to PeV energy scale, from all directions in the sky, enabling an incredibly wide array of analyses ranging from the fundamental physics of neutrino oscillations to the detection of neutrinos from the most energetic environments in the universe. Landmark discoveries by IceCube include the first detection of a high energy diffuse flux of cosmic neutrinos, the multi-messenger observation of neutrinos in coincidence with gamma-ray emission from the blazar TXS 0506+056, observation of neutrinos from the active galaxy NGC 1068 and the first identification of a cosmic anti-neutrino through the Glashow resonance. IceCube’s unbroken track record of breakthroughs in neutrino astronomy has continued recently with the machine-learning-enabled detection of neutrinos from the Galactic Plane and the unambiguous detection of cosmic tau neutrinos. IceCube data is beginning to illuminate the high-energy Universe, pointing toward obscured gamma-ray sources as the most significant neutrino emitters. IceCube is now entering a new era with the forthcoming construction of the IceCube Upgrade (NSF grant #1719277), scheduled for the 2025-2026 austral season, the first major addition of hardware to the detector in 15 years. This proposal will fund the participation of U.S. institutions in data analysis. It will enable the characterization of the diffuse flux, the further identification of neutrino sources both with IceCube data and with multi-messenger studies, extending neutrino astronomy higher and lower in energy, monitoring the Galaxy for supernova explosions, exploring the fundamental properties of neutrinos, and searching for signals of physics beyond the standard model. We will also continue running the Name That Neutrino citizen science project, our successful IceCube Masterclass, and outreach programs that connect IceCube scientists with school classrooms and the general public. This project advances the objectives of "Windows on the Universe: the Era of Multi-Messenger Astrophysics", one of the 10 Big Ideas for Future NSF Investments. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.