Abstract
An upgrade of the present IceCube surface array (IceTop) with scintillation detectors and possibly radio antennas is foreseen. The enhanced array will calibrate the impact of snow accumulation on the reconstruction of cosmic-ray showers detected by IceTop as well as improve the veto capabilities of the surface array. In addition, such a hybrid surface array of radio antennas, scintillators and Cherenkov tanks will enable a number of complementary science targets for IceCube such as enhanced accuracy to mass composition of cosmic rays, search for PeV photons from the Galactic Center, or more thorough tests of the hadronic interaction models. Two prototype stations with 7 scintillation detectors each have been already deployed at the South Pole in January 2018. These R&D studies provide a window of opportunity to integrate radio antennas with minimal effort.
Highlights
The IceTop surface array of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory [1] measures cosmic rays in the transition region from galactic to extra-galactic sources
The non-uniform snow accumulation on the installed iceCherenkov tanks leads to a non-uniform signal attenuation [2, 3] which results in an increased uncertainty on the reconstruction of the air-shower parameters
To use the technique efficiently at the South Pole to reach the science goals of the enhancement we focused on the possibility to lower the threshold by at least an order of magnitude [16, 17]
Summary
The IceTop surface array of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory [1] measures cosmic rays in the transition region from galactic to extra-galactic sources. The proposed enhancement foresees the deployment of 37 stations of 7 detectors each within the present IceTop area. Taking advantage of the infrastructure that the scintillator array will provide, installation of radio antennas is being considered. This requires only moderate additional effort and will transform the surface array into a multi-component detector that would serve as platform for technology tests and for the design of a possible future multi-messenger largescale observatory at the South Pole. In this paper we discuss the possible science benefits for a hybrid scintillator-radio instrumentation and show the status and efforts in prototyping the proposed IceTop enhancement
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