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arXiv · 2506.09806

Enhancing air-shower observations: Results from an IceCube Surface Array Prototype Station

Megha Venugopal
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Abstract

The Surface Array Enhancement of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory is set to equip the existing surface cosmic-ray array of ice-Cherenkov detectors, IceTop, with radio antennas and scintillation detectors. This can lower the energy threshold of detection and increase the measurement accuracy of IceTop. The antenna readout uses a multiplicity trigger from the scintillation detectors. A fully functioning prototype station of the enhancement was deployed at the South Pole in 2020 and upgraded in 2023, and provides a pathway for the future IceCube-Gen2 surface array detector. Previous results include air-shower searches with existing data using traditional and machine learning methods and a preliminary estimation of $X_\mathrm{max}$. The detection methods for radio involving multi-detector components are described and the latest results are presented.

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Megha Venugopal. 2025-06-11. Enhancing air-shower observations: Results from an IceCube Surface Array Prototype Station. https://doi.org/10.22323/1.470.0038

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