Bonn 2010 – scientific programme

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T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik

T 97: Neutrinoastronomie I

T 97.3: Talk

Monday, March 15, 2010, 17:15–17:30, JUR H

Status of the IceCube-DeepCore: sensitivity study for the Southern Hemisphere. — •Claudine Colnard, Olaf Schulz, and Elisa Resconi — Max-Planck-Institute for Nuclear Physics, Heidelberg, Germany

The IceCube neutrino telescope is constructed to search for high energy neutrinos of cosmic origin. The detector site at the geographic South Pole is optimal for the detection of neutrinos coming from the Northern sky. However, promising candidates for galactic neutrino sources, such as the Galactic Center and the extremely luminous supernovae remnants SNR RX J1713.7-3946 and SNR RX J0852.0-4622 which have been recently detected by H.E.S.S lie in the Southern Hemisphere. IceCube analyses normally exclude this region of space due to a predominant background of muons induced by cosmic rays in the atmosphere.

A singular approach to observe the Southern sky at intermediate energies with IceCube is presented. The compact Cherenkov detector IceCube-DeepCore at the center of IceCube will be used to enhance the sensitivity of the telescope at low energies and extend its field of view. The outer layers of IceCube will provide a veto volume to discriminate the cosmic neutrino signal against the much higher atmospheric muon and neutrino backgrounds. The detector performances will be determined by means of especially developed Monte Carlo simulations, in preparation for the first data of DeepCore which will be fully operational by end of March 2010.