Erlangen 2026 – scientific programme

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T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik

T 104: Neutrino Astronomy V

T 104.3: Talk

Friday, March 20, 2026, 09:30–09:45, KS H C

Improving tau neutrino reconstruction and identification with the IceCube Upgrade — •Despoina Mousadi for the IceCube collaboration — Deutsches Elektronen Synchrotron (DESY) Zeuthen — Friedrich-Alexander-Universität (FAU) Erlangen-Nürnberg

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a 1km3 neutrino detector located at the South Pole. It consists of optical modules which can detect Cherenkov light from charged neutrino interaction products in the Antarctic ice. Measuring the flavor composition of astrophysical neutrinos on Earth can give significant insight in their production mechanisms. However, even though tau neutrinos exhibit a unique double cascade (*double bang*) signature which cannot be attributed to the other two neutrino flavors, identifying these signatures remains the most challenging, with only few such events confidently identified so far. This is mainly due to the contrast between the large distance between sensors and the usually short tau decay length, but is also in part caused by limitations in modeling of the surrounding ice and reconstruction algorithm. Starting its operation in 2026, the IceCube Upgrade will provide new possibilities to improve tau neutrino reconstruction and identification, with more densely packed multi-PMT modules containing calibration devices which enable the creation of artificial *double bang* events. Such events can serve as benchmarks for validation of ice models and reconstruction methods, paving the way for improved tau neutrino identification and for better understanding of the underlying physics.

Keywords: IceCube Neutrino Observatory; Tau neutrinos; Neutrino flavor composition; IceCube Upgrade; Astrophysical neutrinos