Opening celestial horizons: Detecting astrophysical high energy electron and tau neutrinos with IceCube

• Applicant: Professor Dr. Marek Kowalski
• Subject Area: Nuclear and Elementary Particle Physics, Quantum Mechanics, Relativity, Fields
• Term: from 2006 to 2012
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 19985969

High energy astrophysical neutrinos have a unique role as messenger particles for the distant and energetic universe. IceCube, the first neutrino detector with a cubic kilometer size is currently being constructed. It is expected to have the sensitivity to detect the rare interactions of astrophysical neutrinos. I propose to detect astrophysical electron neutrinos and tau neutrinos with IceCube using a novel method. According to this method electron and tau neutrinos are detected through particle cascades, which are produced in their interaction with the detector medium. Several advantages are associated with cascade events e.g. low background rates and good energy resolution. Searching for cascade events provides an unsurpassed sensitivity for electron neutrinos and tau neutrinos. Due to the low background for cascade events, they also allow a study of neutrino sources in the southern celestial hemisphere. Fully utilizing the potential of cascade events requires the development of tools for their reconstruction and simulation. The development of these tools is an integral part of my proposal.

• DFG Programme: Independent Junior Research Groups