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arXiv · 0910.0436

IceCube: The Rationale for Kilometer-Scale Neutrino Detectors

Francis Halzen
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Abstract

At a time when IceCube is nearing completion, we revisit the rationale for constructing kilometer-scale neutrino detectors. We focus on the prospect that such observatories reveal the still-enigmatic sources of cosmic rays. While only a "smoking gun" is missing for the case that the Galactic component of the cosmic-ray spectrum originates in supernova remnants, the origin of the extragalactic component remains a mystery. We speculate on neutrino emission from gamma-ray bursts and active galaxies.

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Francis Halzen. 2009-10-02. IceCube: The Rationale for Kilometer-Scale Neutrino Detectors. https://arxiv.org/abs/0910.0436

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