PDD - Introduction

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Introduction

This document describes a conceptual design for the proposed IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole. An Executive Summary is provided in section 2. Section 3 gives the scientific motivation for constructing a kilometer-scale device optimized for detection of cosmological neutrinos with ultrahigh energies in the TeV to PeV range. Section 4 briefly reviews the current status of the field of neutrino astronomy, and section 5 details the expected performance of the IceCube neutrino telescope, with emphasis on the scientific goals outlined in section 3.

Most of the remainder of the document focuses on technical aspects of the IceCube detector. Section 6 lists the technical requirements the IceCube detector must meet in order to attain the desired scientific goals, and section 7 gives a complete conceptual description of the IceCube detector itself. Section 8 describes how the data produced by this detector will be processed and made available for high-level analysis, and section 9 shows how the collaboration will organize itself to perform these analyses.

An explanation of how drilling, deployment and the associated logistics will be handled is given in section 10. Section 11 describes what quality assurance procedures will be implemented to ensure initial and continued success in deployment, data acquisition and data processing. Finally, section 12 shows how the AMANDA and IceCube detectors will be integrated to maximize the overall science output.

Table of Contents

• Introduction
• 1 Document Overview
• 2 Executive Summary
• 3 Science Motivation for Kilometer-Scale Detectors
  • 3.1 High-Energy Neutrinos Associated with Cosmic Particle Accelerators
    • 3.1.1 Energy Considerations
    • 3.1.2 Estimates Based on Models
    • 3.1.3 Neutrinos as a Diagnostic of TeV Gamma-Ray Sources
  • 3.2 Other Science Opportunities
    • 3.2.1 WIMPs and Other Sources of Sub-TeV ν_μ
    • 3.2.2 Atmospheric Neutrinos
    • 3.2.3 PeV and EeV Neutrinos
    • 3.2.4 Tau Neutrino Detection
    • 3.2.5 Neutrinos from Supernovae
  • 3.3 Summary
• 4 Status of High Energy Neutrino Astronomy
  • 4.1 Status of AMANDA
    • 4.1.1 Atmospheric Neutrinos
    • 4.1.2 Pointing Resolution
    • 4.1.3 Search for a diffuse high energy neutrino
    • 4.1.4 Point Sources
    • 4.1.5 Gamma-Ray Bursts
    • 4.1.6 WIMPs
    • 4.1.7 Supernovae
    • 4.1.8 Magnetic Monopoles
    • 4.1.9 Summary of AMANDA Status
• 5 Expected IceCube Performance
  • 5.1 Introduction
  • 5.2 Atmospheric Neutrinos
  • 5.3 Muon-Neutrino-Induced Muons
    • 5.3.1 Simulation
    • 5.3.2 Reconstruction and Background Rejection
    • 5.3.3 Sensitivity to Diffuse Sources of Muon Neutrinos
    • 5.3.4 Sensitivity to Muon Neutrino Point Sources
    • 5.3.5 Sensitivity to Muon Neutrinos from Gamma-Ray Bursts
    • 5.3.6 Possible Improvements
  • 5.4 Electromagnetic and Hadronic Cascades
    • 5.4.1 Simulation
    • 5.4.2 Reconstruction
    • 5.4.3 Effective Volume
    • 5.4.4 Sensitivity to Atmospheric ν
    • 5.4.5 Sensitivity to Point Sources
    • 5.4.6 Sensitivity to Diffuse ν_e Sources
    • 5.4.7 Sensitivity to GRBs
    • 5.4.8 Possible Improvements
  • 5.5 Tau Neutrinos
    • 5.5.1 Tau Neutrino Event Rates
    • 5.5.2 Tau Neutrino Simulations
  • 5.6 Neutrino Flavor Differentiation with Waveform Digitization
    • 5.6.1 Photon Flux Distribution Generated by High Energy Cascades
    • 5.6.2 ν_τ Event Signatures
    • 5.6.3 Summary
  • 5.7 Lower Energy Phenomena and Exotica
    • 5.7.1 Muon Neutrinos from WIMP annihilation
    • 5.7.2 Neutrino oscillations
    • 5.7.3 MeV Neutrinos from Supernovae
    • 5.7.4 Relativistic magnetic monopoles
    • 5.7.5 Slowly moving, bright particles
  • 5.8 IceCube Configuration Flexibility
  • 5.9 Calibration of High-Level Detector Response Variables
    • 5.9.1 Geometry Calibration
    • 5.9.2 Calibration of Angular Response
    • 5.9.3 Calibration of Vertex Resolution
    • 5.9.4 Energy Calibration
  • 5.10 IceTop
    • 5.10.1 Tagged Muon Bundles
    • 5.10.2 IceTop as a Veto
    • 5.10.3 Cosmic-ray Physics
• 6 Experimental Requirements
  • 6.1 Time Resolution
  • 6.2 Waveforms
  • 6.3 Dynamic Range and Linearity
  • 6.4 Absolute Amplitude Calibration and Stability
  • 6.5 Dead time
  • 6.6 Sensitivity of optical modules
  • 6.7 Noise Rate and Noise Rate Stability
  • 6.8 Failure Rate
  • 6.9 IceTop
• 7 Design and Description of IceCube
  • 7.1 Overview
  • 7.2 Digital Optical Module
    • 7.2.1 Pressure Housing
    • 7.2.2 Optical Sensor
    • 7.2.3 PMT HV Generator
    • 7.2.4 Optical Beacon
    • 7.2.5 Signal Processing Circuitry
    • 7.2.6 Local/Global Time Transformation
    • 7.2.7 Cable Electrical Length Measurement
    • 7.2.8 Data Flow and Feature Extraction
    • 7.2.9 Local Coincidence
    • 7.2.10 System Design Aspects
  • 7.3 Network
    • 7.3.1 Copper Links
    • 7.3.2 Time-Base Distribution
  • 7.4 Surface DAQ
    • 7.4.1 Overview
    • 7.4.2 DOM Hub
    • 7.4.3 String Processor
    • 7.4.4 IceCube and IceTop System Integration
    • 7.4.5 Experiment and Configuration Control
    • 7.4.6 Security Environment
    • 7.4.7 DAQ Components
    • 7.4.8 Calibration Operations
    • 7.4.9 DAQ and Online Monitoring
    • 7.4.10 DAQ Computing Environment
  • 7.5 AMANDA Data Transmission Techniques
• 8 Data Handling
  • 8.1 System Elements
    • 8.1.1 Software Management
    • 8.1.2 System Engineering
    • 8.1.3 Development Environment
    • 8.1.4 Analysis Framework
    • 8.1.5 Database
    • 8.1.6 Visualization
    • 8.1.7 Development Interfaces
    • 8.1.8 Integration at Pole
    • 8.1.9 Hardware
    • 8.1.10 Data Distribution
  • 8.2 Offline Data Flow
  • 8.3 Data Model
    • 8.3.1 High Multiplicity
    • 8.3.2 Upgoing Tracks
    • 8.3.3 Cascades/Taus
    • 8.3.4 GRB Downgoing Muons
    • 8.3.5 Icetop
    • 8.3.6 Supernova
    • 8.3.7 Prescaled Raw Data
    • 8.3.8 Monitor
    • 8.3.9 Calibration
    • 8.3.10 Full-Sky Summary Histograms
    • 8.3.11 Unfiltered Raw
  • 8.4 Data Sample Organization
  • 8.5 Latency
  • 8.6 Schedule
  • 8.7 Summary
• 9 Data Analysis
  • 9.1 Introduction
  • 9.2 Analysis Infrastructure
    • 9.2.1 Calibration Analysis and Data Quality Working Group
    • 9.2.2 Simulation Working Group
    • 9.2.3 Reconstruction Working Group
  • 9.3 Computing Infrastructure
  • 9.4 Physics Analysis
  • 9.5 Internal Review Procedure
    • 9.5.1 Introduction
    • 9.5.2 Procedure
  • 9.6 Prerequisites and Schedule
• 10 Drilling, Deployment and Logistics
  • 10.1 Drilling
    • 10.1.1 Introduction
    • 10.1.2 Evolution of AMANDA Drills
    • 10.1.3 Performance Criteria and Design of the EHWD
  • 10.2 Deployment
    • 10.2.1 Overview
    • 10.2.2 AMANDA Experience
    • 10.2.3 AMANDA Deployment
    • 10.2.4 IceCube Deployment Overview
    • 10.2.5 IceCube String Deployment Procedure
    • 10.2.6 IceCube Indoor Deployment
    • 10.2.7 IceCube Drill Hole Requirements
    • 10.2.8 Quality Assurance
    • 10.2.9 Practice Deployments
    • 10.2.10 Surface Cable Installation
  • 10.3 Logistics
    • 10.3.1 Introduction
    • 10.3.2 Documentation
    • 10.3.3 Personnel and Taskings
    • 10.3.4 Medical/Dental Examinations
    • 10.3.5 Airline Travel
    • 10.3.6 Weights and Cubes
    • 10.3.7 Cargo Transport
• 11 Quality Assurance
• 12 Relationship of AMANDA and IceCube
• References

Contacts/Authors of this Document

• Section 1: D. Cowen (Penn)
• Section 2: T. Gaisser (Bartol), F. Halzen (UW-Madison)
• Section 3: T. Gaisser (Bartol), F. Halzen (UW-Madison)
• Section 4: T. Gaisser (Bartol)
• Section 5: D. Cowen (Penn), K. Hanson (Penn), G. Hill (UW-Madison), A. Karle (UW-Madison)
• Section 6: C. Spiering (DESY)
• Section 7: J. Jacobsen (LBNL), A. Karle (UW-Madison), C. McParland (LBNL), D. Nygren (LBNL)
• Section 8: D. Cowen (Penn), P. Herquet (Mons), J. Lamoureux (LBNL), C. McParland (LBNL), D. Schneider (UW-Madison)
• Section 9: P.O. Hulth (Stockholm)
• Section 10: A. Karle (UW-Madison), B. Morse (UW-Madison)
• Section 11: E. Richards (UW-Madison)
• Section 12: P.O. Hulth (Stockholm)