After the first discovery of a cosmic high-energy neutrino flux with the IceCube detector in 2013, a next-generation neutrino telescope at the South Pole, IceCube-Gen2, is now in the planning stage. It will provide significantly improved sensitivity both at high and low energies. The high-energy component of IceCube-Gen2 (blue volume in the graphics) will enclose the current detector (red) with about 140 additional strings, each equipped with up to 80 optical sensors, thereby instrumenting 5-10 km3 of ice. Its main mission is the exploration of the high-energy universe with neutrinos. The low-energy component of IceCube-Gen2 PINGU, consists of about 40 closely spaced strings (grey volume within the green area of the graphics) instrumenting a volume of several Megatons of ice. The high density of optical sensors will lower the detection threshold for neutrinos to a few GeV. The main goal of PINGU is the determination of the neutrino mass ordering via measuring the oscillation pattern of atmospheric neutrinos. In addition, it will also extend the sensitivity of IceCube-Gen2 to low-mass WIMPs, supernova neutrinos and GeV neutrinos from gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). Our group contributes to detector simulations for IceCube-Gen2 and takes a leading role in the development of a novel optical module (Section Sensor development) for photon detection.
Kappes, Alexander | Professur für Experimentalphysik (Prof. Kappes) |
Kappes, Alexander | Professur für Experimentalphysik (Prof. Kappes) |