There are five physics data analysis working groups focussing on the scientific topics listed below. The divisions between the different working groups are not absolute and it will almost certainly be necessary to have collaboration between different groups. Each of these working groups is led by a Working Group Coordinator (WGC). The WGC is responsible for organizing the analysis work within his/her group, for scheduling and leading regular intra-group discussions, for overseeing the internal review of analyses, and for communicating regularly with the Analysis Coordinator.
This group develops the tools and the filters for analyzing muons coming from cosmicray interactions in the atmosphere. The use of the IceTop detector is very important for geometry and efficiency calibration of the IceCube detector. In addition IceTop is used as a veto detector for downgoing atmospheric muons. The group also does general air shower physics analyses.
This group analyzes the low energy charged-current muon neutrino interactions, including the atmospheric neutrinos, neutrino oscillations, and neutrinos from WIMP annihilations in the Sun and the Earth.
This group concentrates on analyzing the high energy charged-current muon neutrino interactions inside and outside the detector. It searches for high energy neutrinos from diffuse sources, point sources, GRBs and relativistic monopoles.
This group analyzes high energy cascade events which could be due to electron neutrino interactions, neutral current neutrino interactions or tau neutrino interactions.
This working group analyzes the Supernova data and Seasonal muon rate variations.
Certain general rules are followed to reduce experimenter bias in the analysis of data. Manpower permitting, analyses are done in parallel and independently by two or more groups. The collaboration may decide to insist that a particularly important analysis be done in this manner. Each analysis uses only a fraction of the available data to tune selection criteria, and only looks at the full data set when all selection criteria have been finalized. Certain analyses should also be "blind" such that the analyzer cannot tune selection criteria to enhance known source directions or times. For example, in a point source search one could alter reconstructed directions in a deterministic but hidden way, and only after the analysis is finalized are the true directions used.
The Analysis Coordinator presents a report at each collaboration meeting giving an overview of the status of each working group and its analysis work. Working Group Coordinators may also be requested to give reports depending on the circumstances.
