Erlangen 2026 – scientific programme

Parts | Days | Selection | Search | Updates | Downloads | Help

T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik

T 105: Methods in Astroparticle Physics V

T 105.5: Talk

Friday, March 20, 2026, 10:00–10:15, KS 00.004

The IceAct PiRATE: A Realtime Snow Accumulation Monitoring and Telescope Calibration System — •Lars Heuermann, Oliver Bosch, Cem Güer, Jan Nicklaus, Andreas Nöll, Jochen Steinmann, Christopher Wiebusch, and Simon Zierke — RWTH Aachen - III. physikalisches Institut B, Aachen, Germany

IceAct is an array of Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes located on the ice-surface of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. It aims to calibrate IceTop and the in-ice detector, improve cosmic-ray composition studies, and potentially enhance IceCube's veto capability for atmospheric neutrinos. The telescope design is optimized to be cost-efficient and to operate reliably in the harsh environmental conditions of the South Pole. This is achieved by a Fresnel-lens-based optics and a camera with 61 SiPMs, resulting in a total field of view of 12 degrees per telescope. For stable operation, it is also important to monitor the changing environmental conditions. The Raspberry Pi-based Real-time snow Accumulation monitoring and Telescope calibration Enhancement (PiRATE) has been developed for this purpose. It features a nanosecond LED light pulser for in-situ camera calibration and a CCD-camera-based snow monitoring system, mounted inside the telescope. The PiRATE is designed to operate at extreme cold temperatures and with minimized emission of electromagnetic interference in the radio band. This talk will present the current status of the PiRATE, report on integration, function, and performance tests, as well as give an outlook on the future deployment at the South Pole.

Keywords: Imaging air cherenkov telescope; IceAct; cosmic rays; nano-second light pulser; calibration