Abstract
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is the world’s largest neutrino detector with a cubic-kilometer instrumented volume at the South Pole. It is preparing for a major upgrade that will significantly increase its sensitivity. A promising technological innovation investigated for this upgrade is wavelength shifting optics. Augmenting sensors with such optics could increase the photo-collection area of IceCube’s digital optical modules, and shift the incoming photons’ wavelength to where these modules are the most sensitive. Here we investigate the use of IceCube’s drill holes as wavelength shifting optics. We calculate the sensitivity enhancement due to increasing the ice’s refractive index in the holes, and infusing wavelength-shifting substrate into the ice. We find that, with adequate wavelength-shifter infusion, every ~0.05 increase in the ice’s refractive index will increase IceCube’s photon sensitivity by 100%, opening the possibility for the substantial, cost-effective expansion of IceCube’s reach.
Highlights
Since 2013 IceCube has been observing a diffuse flux of high-energy (TeV-PeV) neutrinos of cosmic origin 1,2
Two key benefits of extending IceCube’s Digital Optical Modules (DOMs) with Wavelength shifting (WLS) are that light can be shifted from UV wavelengths of Cherenkov radiation to visible wavelength at which DOMs are the most sensitive; and WLS components can be added to collect and concentrate light, increasing sensitivity
Wavelength Shifters We investigate the enhancement of the detected photon flux due to the infusion of ice in the drill holes with WLS
Summary
Since 2013 IceCube has been observing a diffuse flux of high-energy (TeV-PeV) neutrinos of cosmic origin 1,2. The astrophysical sources producing these neutrinos are currently unknown Their identification and detailed study will require a substantially expanded instrument. This motivated IceCube to plan a major upgrade, named IceCube-Gen[2], over the years to enhance its sensitivity to point sources by a factor of 5 and beyond 3. This could be sufficient to resolve the sources of the observed cosmic neutrino flux 4,5, opening the door to a range of promising multimessenger observations. Wavelength shifting (WLS) materials are a major consideration to achieve substantial and cost effective increase in detector sensitivity 8–10. In the following we investigate how the sensitivity of DOMs can be enhanced by these changes
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