Clancy James (Erlangen Centre for Astroparticle Physics)

Clancy James Colloquium: KM3NeT's ARCA detector: neutrino astronomy in the Mediterranean

Marsfield Lecture Theatre

Abstract

KM3NeT is a neutrino detector currently in Phase 1 of construction at two sites in the Mediterranean Sea. Consisting of arrays of photomultiplier tubes anchored to the sea floor, it detects the Cherenkov light induced by the passage of relativistic particles through the water surrounding the detector.

KM3NeT will consist of two major components ORCA, optimised to study neutrino oscillation parameters in the 1 to 100 GeV range, and resolve the neutrino mass hierarchy; and ARCA, designed to detect astrophysical neutrinos in the 100 GeV to PeV range and probe sites of particle acceleration in the universe, such as supernova remnants, gamma ray bursts, and active galactic nuclei. KM3NeT will also be able to investigate dark matter and other exotic physics, and even perform a variety of marine science studies, such as the acoustic tracking of whales, enabled by KM3NeT's extensive undersea infrastructure.

This talk will describe KM3NeTs design, technology, and current deployment status. It will then focus on how ARCA will perform neutrino astronomy by detecting and reconstructing high-energy astrophysical neutrinos with unprecedented angular resolution. In particular, the ability of ARCA to complement Southern Hemisphere astronomical observations will be highlighted, this is because neutrino telescopes generally look downwards, through the Earth, meaning that KM3NeT will simultaneously study the same sky seen in Australia.