IceCube-Gen2: the window to the extreme Universe

M G Aartsen; R Abbasi; M Ackermann; J Adams; J A Aguilar; M Ahlers; M Ahrens; C Alispach; P Allison; N M Amin; K Andeen; T Anderson; I Ansseau; G Anton; C Argüelles; T C Arlen; J Auffenberg; S Axani; H Bagherpour; X Bai; A Balagopal V; A Barbano; I Bartos; B Bastian; V Basu; V Baum; S Baur; R Bay; J J Beatty; K-H Becker; J Becker Tjus; S BenZvi; D Berley; E Bernardini; D Z Besson; G Binder; D Bindig; E Blaufuss; S Blot; C Bohm; M Bohmer; S Böser; O Botner; J Böttcher; E Bourbeau; J Bourbeau; F Bradascio; J Braun; S Bron; J Brostean-Kaiser; A Burgman; R T Burley; J Buscher; R S Busse; M Bustamante; M A Campana; E G Carnie-Bronca; T Carver; C Chen; P Chen; E Cheung; D Chirkin; S Choi; B A Clark; K Clark; L Classen; A Coleman; G H Collin; A Connolly; J M Conrad; P Coppin; P Correa; D F Cowen; R Cross; P Dave; C Deaconu; C De Clercq; J J DeLaunay; S De Kockere; H Dembinski; K Deoskar; S De Ridder; A Desai; P Desiati; K D de Vries; G de Wasseige; M de With; T DeYoung; S Dharani; A Diaz; J C Díaz-Vélez; H Dujmovic; M Dunkman; M A DuVernois; E Dvorak; T Ehrhardt; P Eller; R Engel; J J Evans; P A Evenson

doi:10.1088/1361-6471/abbd48

IceCube-Gen2: the window to the extreme Universe

IceCube-Gen2: окно в экстремальную Вселенную

M G Aartsen, R Abbasi, M Ackermann, J Adams, J A Aguilar, M Ahlers, M Ahrens, C Alispach, P Allison, N M Amin, K Andeen, T Anderson, I Ansseau, G Anton, C Argüelles, T C Arlen, J Auffenberg, S Axani, H Bagherpour, X Bai, A Balagopal V, A Barbano, I Bartos, B Bastian, V Basu, V Baum, S Baur, R Bay, J J Beatty, K-H Becker, J Becker Tjus, S BenZvi, D Berley, E Bernardini, D Z Besson, G Binder, D Bindig, E Blaufuss, S Blot, C Bohm, M Bohmer, S Böser, O Botner, J Böttcher, E Bourbeau, J Bourbeau, F Bradascio, J Braun, S Bron, J Brostean-Kaiser, A Burgman, R T Burley, J Buscher, R S Busse, M Bustamante, M A Campana, E G Carnie-Bronca, T Carver, C Chen, P Chen, E Cheung, D Chirkin, S Choi, B A Clark, K Clark, L Classen, A Coleman, G H Collin, A Connolly, J M Conrad, P Coppin, P Correa, D F Cowen, R Cross, P Dave, C Deaconu, C De Clercq, J J DeLaunay, S De Kockere, H Dembinski, K Deoskar, S De Ridder, A Desai, P Desiati, K D de Vries, G de Wasseige, M de With, T DeYoung, S Dharani, A Diaz, J C Díaz-Vélez, H Dujmovic, M Dunkman, M A DuVernois, E Dvorak, T Ehrhardt, P Eller, R Engel, J J Evans, P A Evenson

2021-04-29

SCID: 54.1/qwc5vj9e Discuss with AI

IceCube-Gen2cosmic neutrinoscosmic particle accelerationhigh-energy neutrino skymulti-messenger observations

Abstract (AI)

Abstract The observation of electromagnetic radiation from radio to γ-ray wavelengths has provided a wealth of information about the Universe. However, at PeV (10 15 eV) energies and above, most of the Universe is impenetrable to photons. New messengers, namely cosmic neutrinos, are needed to explore the most extreme environments of the Universe where black holes, neutron stars, and stellar explosions transform gravitational energy into non-thermal cosmic rays. These energetic particles have millions of times higher energies than those produced in the most powerful particle accelerators on Earth. As neutrinos can escape from regions otherwise opaque to radiation, they allow an unique view deep into exploding stars and the vicinity of the event horizons of black holes. The discovery of cosmic neutrinos with IceCube has opened this new window on the Universe. IceCube has been successful in finding first evidence for cosmic particle acceleration in the jet of an active galactic nucleus. Yet, ultimately, its sensitivity is too limited to detect even the brightest neutrino sources with high significance, or to detect populations of less luminous sources. In this white paper, we present an overview of a next-generation instrument, IceCube-Gen2, which will sharpen our understanding of the processes and environments that govern the Universe at the highest energies. IceCube-Gen2 is designed to: (a) Resolve the high-energy neutrino sky from TeV to EeV energies (b) Investigate cosmic particle acceleration through multi-messenger observations (c) Reveal the sources and propagation of the highest energy particles in the Universe (d) Probe fundamental physics with high-energy neutrinos IceCube-Gen2 will enhance the existing IceCube detector at the South Pole. It will increase the annual rate of observed cosmic neutrinos by a factor of ten compared to IceCube, and will be able to detect sources five times fainter than its predecessor. Furthermore, through the addition of a radio array, IceCube-Gen2 will extend the energy range by several orders of magnitude compared to IceCube. Construction will take 8 years and cost about $350M. The goal is to have IceCube-Gen2 fully operational by 2033. IceCube-Gen2 will play an essential role in shaping the new era of multi-messenger astronomy, fundamentally advancing our knowledge of the high-energy Universe. This challenging mission can be fully addressed only through the combination of the information from the neutrino, electromagnetic, and gravitational wave emission of high-energy sources, in concert with the new survey instruments across the electromagnetic spectrum and gravitational wave detectors which will be available in the coming years.

Key Findings

At PeV energies and above, photon absorption makes most of the Universe opaque, motivating cosmic neutrinos as probes of extreme astrophysical environments.

IceCube discovered cosmic neutrinos and found first evidence for cosmic-particle acceleration in an active galactic nucleus jet, but its sensitivity limits source significance and population studies.

IceCube-Gen2 is designed to resolve the high-energy neutrino sky from TeV to EeV energies and investigate particle acceleration through multi-messenger observations.

IceCube-Gen2 will enable studies of the origins and propagation of the highest-energy particles and probe fundamental physics with high-energy neutrinos.

The detector will enhance IceCube at the South Pole, increasing the annual cosmic-neutrino detection rate tenfold and detecting sources five times fainter.

Research Object

IceCube-Gen2 next-generation neutrino observatory and its detection of high-energy cosmic neutrinos

Research Subject

The sensitivity, source-resolving capability, and scientific reach of high-energy cosmic-neutrino observations for studying extreme astrophysical environments, particle acceleration, cosmic-ray sources and propagation, and fundamental physics

Publication Details

DOI

10.1088/1361-6471/abbd48

Publication Date

2021-04-29

Journal

Publisher

ISSN

Cited by

537

Open access PDF

https://iopscience.iop.org/article/10.1088/1361…

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Author Information

Authors

M G Aartsen

R Abbasi

M Ackermann

J Adams

J A Aguilar

M Ahlers

M Ahrens

C Alispach

P Allison

N M Amin

K Andeen

T Anderson

I Ansseau

G Anton

C Argüelles

T C Arlen

J Auffenberg

S Axani

H Bagherpour

X Bai

A Balagopal V

A Barbano

I Bartos

B Bastian

V Basu

V Baum

S Baur

R Bay

J J Beatty

K-H Becker

J Becker Tjus

S BenZvi

D Berley

E Bernardini

D Z Besson

G Binder

D Bindig

E Blaufuss

S Blot

C Bohm

M Bohmer

S Böser

O Botner

J Böttcher

E Bourbeau

J Bourbeau

F Bradascio

J Braun

S Bron

J Brostean-Kaiser

A Burgman

R T Burley

J Buscher

R S Busse

M Bustamante

M A Campana

E G Carnie-Bronca

T Carver

C Chen

P Chen

E Cheung

D Chirkin

S Choi

B A Clark

K Clark

L Classen

A Coleman

G H Collin

A Connolly

J M Conrad

P Coppin

P Correa

D F Cowen

R Cross

P Dave

C Deaconu

C De Clercq

J J DeLaunay

S De Kockere

H Dembinski

K Deoskar

S De Ridder

A Desai

P Desiati

K D de Vries

G de Wasseige

M de With

T DeYoung

S Dharani

A Diaz

J C Díaz-Vélez

H Dujmovic

M Dunkman

M A DuVernois

E Dvorak

T Ehrhardt

P Eller

R Engel

J J Evans

P A Evenson

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