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Hybrid cosmic ray measurements using the IceAct telescopes in coincidence with the IceCube and IceTop detectors

Proceedings of Science 395 (2022)

Authors:

T Bretz, G Do, JW Hewitt, F Maslowski, L Paul, M Plum, F Rehbein, J Schäfer, M Schaufel, A Zink, R Abbasi, M Ackermann, J Adams, JA Aguilar, M Ahlers, M Ahrens, C Alispach, AA Alves, NM Amin, R An, K Andeen, T Anderson, G Anton, C Argüelles, Y Ashida, S Axani, X Bai, AV Balagopal, A Barbano, SW Barwick, B Bastian, V Basu, S Baur, R Bay, JJ Beatty, KH Becker, J Becker Tjus, C Bellenghi, S BenZvi, D Berley, E Bernardini, DZ Besson, G Binder, D Bindig, E Blaufuss, S Blot, M Boddenberg, F Bontempo, J Borowka, S Böser, O Botner, J Böttcher, E Bourbeau, F Bradascio, J Braun, S Bron, J Brostean-Kaiser, S Browne, A Burgman, RT Burley, RS Busse, MA Campana, EG Carnie-Bronca, C Chen, D Chirkin, K Choi, BA Clark, K Clark, L Classen, A Coleman, GH Collin, JM Conrad, P Coppin, P Correa, DF Cowen, R Cross, C Dappen, P Dave, C De Clercq, JJ DeLaunay, H Dembinski, K Deoskar, S De Ridder, A Desai, P Desiati, KD de Vries, G de Wasseige, M de With, T DeYoung, S Dharani, A Diaz, JC Díaz-Vélez, M Dittmer, H Dujmovic, M Dunkman, MA DuVernois, E Dvorak, T Ehrhardt, P Eller, R Engel

Abstract:

IceAct is a proposed surface array of compact (50 cm diameter) and cost-effective Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes installed at the site of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the geographic South Pole. Since January 2019, two IceAct telescope demonstrators, featuring 61 silicon photomultiplier (SiPM) pixels have been taking data in the center of the IceTop surface array during the austral winter. We present the first analysis of hybrid cosmic ray events detected by the IceAct imaging air-Cherenkov telescopes in coincidence with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, including the IceTop surface array and the IceCube in-ice array. By featuring an energy threshold of about 10 TeV and a wide field-of-view, the IceAct telescopes show promising capabilities of improving current cosmic ray composition studies: measuring the Cherenkov light emissions in the atmosphere adds new information about the shower development not accessible with the current detectors, enabling significantly better primary particle type discrimination on a statistical basis. The hybrid measurement also allows for detailed feasibility studies of detector cross-calibration and of cosmic ray veto capabilities for neutrino analyses. We present the performance of the telescopes, the results from the analysis of two years of data, and an outlook of a hybrid simulation for a future telescope array.

Measuring total neutrino cross section with IceCube at intermediate energies (∼100 GeV to a few TeV)

Proceedings of Science 395 (2022)

Authors:

S Nowicki, R Abbasi, M Ackermann, J Adams, JA Aguilar, M Ahlers, M Ahrens, C Alispach, AA Alves, NM Amin, R An, K Andeen, T Anderson, G Anton, C Argüelles, Y Ashida, S Axani, X Bai, AV Balagopal, A Barbano, SW Barwick, B Bastian, V Basu, S Baur, R Bay, JJ Beatty, KH Becker, J Becker Tjus, C Bellenghi, S BenZvi, D Berley, E Bernardini, DZ Besson, G Binder, D Bindig, E Blaufuss, S Blot, M Boddenberg, F Bontempo, J Borowka, S Böser, O Botner, J Böttcher, E Bourbeau, F Bradascio, J Braun, S Bron, J Brostean-Kaiser, S Browne, A Burgman, RT Burley, RS Busse, MA Campana, EG Carnie-Bronca, C Chen, D Chirkin, K Choi, BA Clark, K Clark, L Classen, A Coleman, GH Collin, JM Conrad, P Coppin, P Correa, DF Cowen, R Cross, C Dappen, P Dave, C De Clercq, JJ DeLaunay, H Dembinski, K Deoskar, S De Ridder, A Desai, P Desiati, KD de Vries, G de Wasseige, M de With, T DeYoung, S Dharani, A Diaz, JC Díaz-Vélez, M Dittmer, H Dujmovic, M Dunkman, MA DuVernois, E Dvorak, T Ehrhardt, P Eller, R Engel, H Erpenbeck, J Evans, PA Evenson, KL Fan, AR Fazely, S Fiedlschuster, AT Fienberg, K Filimonov, C Finley

Abstract:

Whether studying neutrinos for their own sake or as a messenger particle, neutrino cross sections are critically important for numerous analyses. On the low energy side, measurements from accelerator experiments reach up to a few 100s of GeV. On the high energy side, neutrino-earth absorption measurements extend down to a few TeV. The intermediate energy range has yet to be measured experimentally. This work is made possible by the linear relationship between the event rate and cross section, and will utilize IceCube muon neutrino data collected between 2010 and 2018. An advanced energy reconstruction, tailored to the unique properties of the energy range and using the full description of photon propagation in ice, is applied to an event sample of neutrino-induced through-going muons to perform a forward folding analysis.

Monte Carlo Simulations and Validation of NectarCAM, a Medium Sized Telescope Camera for CTA

Proceedings of Science 395 (2022)

Authors:

TP Armstrong, H Costantini, JF Glicenstein, JP Lenain, U Schwanke, T Tavernier, H Abdalla, H Abe, S Abe, A Abusleme, F Acero, A Acharyya, V Acín Portella, K Ackley, R Adam, C Adams, SS Adhikari, I Aguado-Ruesga, I Agudo, R Aguilera, A Aguirre-Santaella, F Aharonian, A Alberdi, R Alfaro, J Alfaro, C Alispach, R Aloisio, R Alves Batista, JP Amans, L Amati, E Amato, L Ambrogi, G Ambrosi, M Ambrosio, R Ammendola, J Anderson, M Anduze, EO Angüner, LA Antonelli, V Antonuccio, P Antoranz, R Anutarawiramkul, J Aragunde Gutierrez, C Aramo, A Araudo, M Araya, A Arbet-Engels, C Arcaro, V Arendt, C Armand, F Arqueros, L Arrabito, B Arsioli, M Artero, K Asano, Y Ascasíbar, J Aschersleben, M Ashley, P Attinà, P Aubert, CB Singh, D Baack, A Babic, M Backes, V Baena, S Bajtlik, A Baktash, C Balazs, M Balbo, O Ballester, J Ballet, B Balmaverde, A Bamba, R Bandiera, A Baquero Larriva, P Barai, C Barbier, V Barbosa Martins, M Barcelo, M Barkov, M Barnard, L Baroncelli, U Barres de Almeida, JA Barrio, D Bastieri, PI Batista, I Batkovic, C Bauer, R Bautista-González, J Baxter, U Becciani, J Becerra González, Y Becherini, G Beck, J Becker Tjus, W Bednarek, A Belfiore, L Bellizzi, R Belmont

Abstract:

The upcoming Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) ground-based gamma-ray observatory will open up our view of the very high energy Universe, offering an improvement in sensitivity of 5-10 times that of previous experiments. NectarCAM is one of the proposed cameras for the Medium-Sized Telescopes (MST) which have been designed to cover the core energy range of CTA, from 100 GeV to 10 TeV. The final camera will be capable of GHz sampling and provide a field of view of 8 degrees with its 265 modules of 7 photomultiplier each (for a total of 1855 pixels). In order to validate the performance of NectarCAM, a partially-equipped prototype has been constructed consisting of only the inner 61-modules. It has so far undergone testing at the integration test-bench facility in CEA Paris-Saclay (France) and on a prototype of the MST structure in Adlershof (Germany). To characterize the performance of the prototype, Monte Carlo simulations were conducted using a detailed model of the 61 module camera in the CORSIKA/sim_telarray framework. This contribution provides an overview of this work including the comparison of trigger and readout performance on test-bench data and trigger and image parameterization performance during on-sky measurements.

New Flux Limits in the Low Relativistic Regime for Magnetic Monopoles at IceCube

Proceedings of Science 395 (2022)

Authors:

FH Lauber, R Abbasi, M Ackermann, J Adams, JA Aguilar, M Ahlers, M Ahrens, C Alispach, AA Alves, NM Amin, R An, K Andeen, T Anderson, G Anton, C Argüelles, Y Ashida, S Axani, X Bai, AV Balagopal, A Barbano, SW Barwick, B Bastian, V Basu, S Baur, R Bay, JJ Beatty, KH Becker, J Becker Tjus, C Bellenghi, S BenZvi, D Berley, E Bernardini, DZ Besson, G Binder, D Bindig, E Blaufuss, S Blot, M Boddenberg, F Bontempo, J Borowka, S Böser, O Botner, J Böttcher, E Bourbeau, F Bradascio, J Braun, S Bron, J Brostean-Kaiser, S Browne, A Burgman, RT Burley, RS Busse, MA Campana, EG Carnie-Bronca, C Chen, D Chirkin, K Choi, BA Clark, K Clark, L Classen, A Coleman, GH Collin, JM Conrad, P Coppin, P Correa, DF Cowen, R Cross, C Dappen, P Dave, C De Clercq, JJ DeLaunay, H Dembinski, K Deoskar, S De Ridder, A Desai, P Desiati, KD de Vries, G de Wasseige, M de With, T DeYoung, S Dharani, A Diaz, JC Díaz-Vélez, M Dittmer, H Dujmovic, M Dunkman, MA DuVernois, E Dvorak, T Ehrhardt, P Eller, R Engel, H Erpenbeck, J Evans, PA Evenson, KL Fan, AR Fazely, S Fiedlschuster, AT Fienberg, K Filimonov, C Finley

Abstract:

Magnetic monopoles are hypothetical particles that carry magnetic charge. Depending on their velocity, different light production mechanisms exist to facilitate detection. In this work, a previously unused light production mechanism, luminescence of ice, is introduced. This light production mechanism is nearly independent of the velocity of the incident magnetic monopole and becomes the only viable light production mechanism in the low relativistic regime (0.1-0.55c). An analysis in the low relativistic regime searching for magnetic monopoles in seven years of IceCube data is presented. While no magnetic monopole detection can be claimed, a new flux limit in the low relativistic regime is presented, superseding the previous best flux limit by 2 orders of magnitude.

POCAM in the IceCube Upgrade

Proceedings of Science 395 (2022)

Authors:

N Khera, F Henningsen, R Abbasi, M Ackermann, J Adams, JA Aguilar, M Ahlers, M Ahrens, C Alispach, AA Alves, NM Amin, R An, K Andeen, T Anderson, G Anton, C Argüelles, Y Ashida, S Axani, X Bai, AV Balagopal, A Barbano, SW Barwick, B Bastian, V Basu, S Baur, R Bay, JJ Beatty, KH Becker, J Becker Tjus, C Bellenghi, S BenZvi, D Berley, E Bernardini, DZ Besson, G Binder, D Bindig, E Blaufuss, S Blot, M Boddenberg, F Bontempo, J Borowka, S Böser, O Botner, J Böttcher, E Bourbeau, F Bradascio, J Braun, S Bron, J Brostean-Kaiser, S Browne, A Burgman, RT Burley, RS Busse, MA Campana, EG Carnie-Bronca, C Chen, D Chirkin, K Choi, BA Clark, K Clark, L Classen, A Coleman, GH Collin, JM Conrad, P Coppin, P Correa, DF Cowen, R Cross, C Dappen, P Dave, C De Clercq, JJ DeLaunay, H Dembinski, K Deoskar, S De Ridder, A Desai, P Desiati, KD de Vries, G de Wasseige, M de With, T DeYoung, S Dharani, A Diaz, JC Díaz-Vélez, M Dittmer, H Dujmovic, M Dunkman, MA DuVernois, E Dvorak, T Ehrhardt, P Eller, R Engel, H Erpenbeck, J Evans, PA Evenson, KL Fan, AR Fazely, S Fiedlschuster, AT Fienberg, K Filimonov

Abstract:

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the geographic South Pole instruments a gigaton of glacial Antarctic ice with over 5000 photosensors. The detector, by now running for over a decade, will be upgraded with seven new densely instrumented strings. The project focuses on the improvement of low-energy and oscillation physics sensitivities as well as re-calibration of the existing detector. Over the last few years we developed a Precision Optical Calibration Module (POCAM) providing self-monitored, isotropic, nanosecond, light pulses for optical calibration of large-volume detectors. Over 20 next-generation POCAMs will be calibrated and deployed in the IceCube Upgrade in order to reduce existing detector systematics. We report a general overview of the POCAM instrument, its performance and calibration procedures.