arXiv subjects

A. G. Vieregg

Publications and source records attributed to A. G. Vieregg.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2019

Recent Results from The Askaryan Radio Array

The Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) is an ultra-high energy (UHE) neutrino telescope at the South Pole consisting of an array of radio antennas aimed at detecting the Askaryan radiation produced by neutrino interactions in the ice. Currently, the experiment has five stations in operation that have been deployed in stages since 2012. This contribution focuses on the development of a search for a diffuse flux of neutrinos in two ARA stations (A2 and A3) from 2013-2016. A background of $\sim 0.01-0.02$ events is expected in one station in each of two search channels in horizontal- and vertical-polarizations. The expected new constraints on the flux of ultra-high energy neutrinos based on four years of analysis with two stations improve on the previous limits set by ARA by a factor of about two. The projected sensitivity of ARA's five-station dataset is beginning to be competitive with other neutrino telescopes at high energies near $10^{10.5}\,$GeV.

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arXiv2019

BICEP2 / Keck Array IX: New Bounds on Anisotropies of CMB Polarization Rotation and Implications for Axion-Like Particles and Primordial Magnetic Fields

We present the strongest constraints to date on anisotropies of cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization rotation derived from 150 GHz data taken by the BICEP2/Keck Array CMB experiments up to and including the 2014 observing season (BK14). The definition of the polarization angle in BK14 maps has gone through self-calibration in which the overall angle is adjusted to minimize the observed TB and EB power spectra. After this procedure, the QU maps lose sensitivity to a uniform polarization rotation but are still sensitive to anisotropies of polarization rotation. This analysis places constraints on the anisotropies of polarization rotation, which could be generated by CMB photons interacting with axionlike pseudoscalar fields or Faraday rotation induced by primordial magnetic fields. The sensitivity of BK14 maps ($\sim 3μ$K-arcmin) makes it possible to reconstruct anisotropies of the polarization rotation angle and measure their angular power spectrum much more precisely than previous attempts. Our data are found to be consistent with no polarization rotation anisotropies, improving the upper bound on the amplitude of the rotation angle spectrum by roughly an order of magnitude compared to the previous best constraints. Our results lead to an order of magnitude better constraint on the coupling constant of the Chern-Simons electromagnetic term $g_{aγ}\leq 7.2\times 10^{-2}/H_I$ (95% confidence) than the constraint derived from the B-mode spectrum, where $H_I$ is the inflationary Hubble scale. This constraint leads to a limit on the decay constant of $10^{-6}\lesssim f_a/M_{\rm pl}$ at mass range of $10^{-33}< m_a< 10^{-28}$ eV for $r=0.01$, assuming $g_{aγ}\simα/(2πf_a)$ with $α$ denoting the fine structure constant. The upper bound on the amplitude of the primordial magnetic fields is 30nG (95% confidence) from the polarization rotation anisotropies.

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arXiv2019

Constraints on the ultra-high energy cosmic neutrino flux from the fourth flight of ANITA

The ANtarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) NASA long-duration balloon payload completed its fourth flight in December 2016, after 28 days of flight time. ANITA is sensitive to impulsive broadband radio emission from interactions of ultra-high-energy neutrinos in polar ice (Askaryan emission). We present the results of two separate blind analyses searching for signals from Askaryan emission in the data from the fourth flight of ANITA. The more sensitive analysis, with a better expected limit, has a background estimate of $0.64^{+0.69}_{-0.45}$ and an analysis efficiency of $82\pm2\%$. The second analysis has a background estimate of $0.34^{+0.66}_{-0.16}$ and an analysis efficiency of $71\pm6\%$. Each analysis found one event in the signal region, consistent with the background estimate for each analysis. The resulting limit further tightens the constraints on the diffuse flux of ultra-high-energy neutrinos at energies above $10^{19.5}$ eV.

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arXiv2019

A comprehensive analysis of anomalous ANITA events disfavors a diffuse tau-neutrino flux origin

Recently, the ANITA collaboration reported on two upward-going extensive air shower events consistent with a primary particle that emerges from the surface of the ice. These events may be of $ν_τ$ origin, in which the neutrino interacts within the Earth to produce a $τ$ lepton that emerges from the Earth, decays in the atmosphere, and initiates an extensive air shower. In this paper we estimate an upper bound on the ANITA acceptance to a diffuse $ν_τ$ flux detected via $τ$-lepton-induced air showers within the bounds of Standard Model (SM) uncertainties. By comparing this estimate with the acceptance of Pierre Auger Observatory and IceCube and assuming SM interactions, we conclude that a $ν_τ$ origin of these events would imply a neutrino flux at least two orders of magnitude above current bounds.

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arXiv2018

Measurements of Degree-Scale B-mode Polarization with the BICEP/Keck Experiments at South Pole

The BICEP and Keck Array experiments are a suite of small-aperture refracting telescopes observing the microwave sky from the South Pole. They target the degree-scale B-mode polarization signal imprinted in the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) by primordial gravitational waves. Such a measurement would shed light on the physics of the very early universe. While BICEP2 observed for the first time a B-mode signal at 150 GHz, higher frequencies from the Planck satellite showed that it could be entirely due to the polarized emission from Galactic dust, though uncertainty remained high. Keck Array has been observing the same region of the sky for several years, with an increased detector count, producing the deepest polarized CMB maps to date. New detectors at 95 GHz were installed in 2014, and at 220 GHz in 2015. These observations enable a better constraint of galactic foreground emissions, as presented here. In 2015, BICEP2 was replaced by BICEP3, a 10 times higher throughput telescope observing at 95 GHz, while Keck Array is now focusing on higher frequencies. In the near future, BICEP Array will replace Keck Array, and will allow unprecedented sensitivity to the gravitational wave signal. High resolution observations from the South Pole Telescope (SPT) will also be used to remove the lensing contribution to B-modes.

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arXiv2018

Design and Performance of an Interferometric Trigger Array for Radio Detection of High-Energy Neutrinos

Ultra-high energy neutrinos are detectable through impulsive radio signals generated through interactions in dense media, such as ice. Subsurface in-ice radio arrays are a promising way to advance the observation and measurement of astrophysical high-energy neutrinos with energies above those discovered by the IceCube detector ($\geq$1 PeV) as well as cosmogenic neutrinos created in the GZK process ($\geq$100 PeV). Here we describe the $\textit{NuPhase}$ detector, which is a compact receiving array of low-gain antennas deployed 185 m deep in glacial ice near the South Pole. Signals from the antennas are digitized and coherently summed into multiple beams to form a low-threshold interferometric phased array trigger for radio impulses. The NuPhase detector was installed at an Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) station during the 2017/18 Austral summer season. $\textit{In situ}$ measurements with an impulsive, point-source calibration instrument show a 50% trigger efficiency on impulses with voltage signal-to-noise ratios (SNR) of $\le$2.0, a factor of $\sim$1.8 improvement in SNR over the standard ARA combinatoric trigger. Hardware-level simulations, validated with $\textit{in situ}$ measurements, predict a trigger threshold of an SNR as low as 1.6 for neutrino interactions that are in the far field of the array. With the already-achieved NuPhase trigger performance included in ARASim, a detector simulation for the ARA experiment, we find the trigger-level effective detector volume is increased by a factor of 1.8 at neutrino energies between 10 and 100 PeV compared to the currently used ARA combinatoric trigger. We also discuss an achievable near term path toward lowering the trigger threshold further to an SNR of 1.0, which would increase the effective single-station volume by more than a factor of 3 in the same range of neutrino energies.

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arXiv2018

BICEP2 / Keck Array x: Constraints on Primordial Gravitational Waves using Planck, WMAP, and New BICEP2/Keck Observations through the 2015 Season

We present results from an analysis of all data taken by the BICEP2/Keck CMB polarization experiments up to and including the 2015 observing season. This includes the first Keck Array observations at 220 GHz and additional observations at 95 & 150 GHz. The $Q/U$ maps reach depths of 5.2, 2.9 and 26 $μ$K$_{cmb}$ arcmin at 95, 150 and 220 GHz respectively over an effective area of $\approx 400$ square degrees. The 220 GHz maps achieve a signal-to-noise on polarized dust emission approximately equal to that of Planck at 353 GHz. We take auto- and cross-spectra between these maps and publicly available WMAP and Planck maps at frequencies from 23 to 353 GHz. We evaluate the joint likelihood of the spectra versus a multicomponent model of lensed-$Λ$CDM+$r$+dust+synchrotron+noise. The foreground model has seven parameters, and we impose priors on some of these using external information from Planck and WMAP derived from larger regions of sky. The model is shown to be an adequate description of the data at the current noise levels. The likelihood analysis yields the constraint $r_{0.05}<0.07$ at 95% confidence, which tightens to $r_{0.05}<0.06$ in conjunction with Planck temperature measurements and other data. The lensing signal is detected at $8.8 σ$ significance. Running maximum likelihood search on simulations we obtain unbiased results and find that $σ(r)=0.020$. These are the strongest constraints to date on primordial gravitational waves.

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arXiv2018

Upward-Pointing Cosmic-Ray-like Events Observed with ANITA

These proceedings address a recent publication by the ANITA collaboration of four upward- pointing cosmic-ray-like events observed in the first flight of ANITA. Three of these events were consistent with stratospheric cosmic-ray air showers where the axis of propagation does not inter- sect the surface of the Earth. The fourth event was consistent with a primary particle that emerges from the surface of the ice suggesting a possible τ-lepton decay as the origin of this event. These proceedings follow-up on the modeling and testing of the hypothesis that this event was of τ neutrino origin.

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arXiv2018

High-Precision Scanning Water Vapor Radiometers for Cosmic Microwave Background Site Characterization and Comparison

The compelling science case for the observation of B-mode polarization in the cosmic microwave background (CMB) is driving the CMB community to expand the observed sky fraction, either by extending survey sizes or by deploying receivers to potential new northern sites. For ground-based CMB instruments, poorly-mixed atmospheric water vapor constitutes the primary source of short-term sky noise. This results in short-timescale brightness fluctuations, which must be rejected by some form of modulation. To maximize the sensitivity of ground-based CMB observations, it is useful to understand the effects of atmospheric water vapor over timescales and angular scales relevant for CMB polarization measurements. To this end, we have undertaken a campaign to perform a coordinated characterization of current and potential future observing sites using scanning 183 GHz water vapor radiometers (WVRs). So far, we have deployed two identical WVR units; one at the South Pole, Antarctica, and the other at Summit Station, Greenland. The former site has a long heritage of ground-based CMB observations and is the current location of the Bicep/Keck Array telescopes as well as the South Pole Telescope. The latter site, though less well characterized, is under consideration as a northern-hemisphere location for future CMB receivers. Data collection from this campaign began in January 2016 at South Pole and July 2016 at Summit Station. Data analysis is ongoing to reduce the data to a single spatial and temporal statistic that can be used for one-to-one site comparison.

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arXiv2018

BICEP Array cryostat and mount design

Bicep Array is a cosmic microwave background (CMB) polarization experiment that will begin observing at the South Pole in early 2019. This experiment replaces the five Bicep2 style receivers that compose the Keck Array with four larger Bicep3 style receivers observing at six frequencies from 30 to 270GHz. The 95GHz and 150GHz receivers will continue to push the already deep Bicep/Keck CMB maps while the 30/40GHz and 220/270GHz receivers will constrain the synchrotron and galactic dust foregrounds respectively. Here we report on the design and performance of the Bicep Array instruments focusing on the mount and cryostat systems.

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arXiv2018

Ultra-Thin Large-Aperture Vacuum Windows for Millimeter Wavelengths Receivers

Targeting faint polarization patterns arising from Primordial Gravitational Waves in the Cosmic Microwave Background requires excellent observational sensitivity. Optical elements in small aperture experiments such as Bicep3 and Keck Array are designed to optimize throughput and minimize losses from transmission, reflection and scattering at millimeter wavelengths. As aperture size increases, cryostat vacuum windows must withstand larger forces from atmospheric pressure and the solution has often led to a thicker window at the expense of larger transmission loss. We have identified a new candidate material for the fabrication of vacuum windows: with a tensile strength two orders of magnitude larger than previously used materials, woven high-modulus polyethylene could allow for dramatically thinner windows, and therefore significantly reduced losses and higher sensitivity. In these proceedings we investigate the suitability of high-modulus polyethylene windows for ground-based CMB experiments, such as current and future receivers in the Bicep/Keck Array program. This includes characterizing their optical transmission as well as their mechanical behavior under atmospheric pressure. We find that such ultra-thin materials are promising candidates to improve the performance of large-aperture instruments at millimeter wavelengths, and outline a plan for further tests ahead of a possible upcoming field deployment of such a science-grade window.

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arXiv2018

BICEP Array: a multi-frequency degree-scale CMB polarimeter

BICEP Array is the newest multi-frequency instrument in the BICEP/Keck Array program. It is comprised of four 550 mm aperture refractive telescopes observing the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at 30/40, 95, 150 and 220/270 GHz with over 30,000 detectors. We present an overview of the receiver, detailing the optics, thermal, mechanical, and magnetic shielding design. BICEP Array follows BICEP3's modular focal plane concept, and upgrades to 6" wafer to reduce fabrication with higher detector count per module. The first receiver at 30/40 GHz is expected to start observing at the South Pole during the 2019-20 season. By the end of the planned BICEP Array program, we project $σ(r) \sim 0.003$, assuming current modeling of polarized Galactic foreground and depending on the level of delensing that can be achieved with higher resolution maps from the South Pole Telescope.

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arXiv2018

Design and performance of wide-band corrugated walls for the BICEP Array detector modules at 30/40 GHz

BICEP Array is a degree-scale Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) experiment that will search for primordial B-mode polarization while constraining Galactic foregrounds. BICEP Array will be comprised of four receivers to cover a broad frequency range with channels at 30/40, 95, 150 and 220/270 GHz. The first low-frequency receiver will map synchrotron emission at 30 and 40 GHz and will deploy to the South Pole at the end of 2019. In this paper, we give an overview of the BICEP Array science and instrument, with a focus on the detector module. We designed corrugations in the metal frame of the module to suppress unwanted interactions with the antenna-coupled detectors that would otherwise deform the beams of edge pixels. This design reduces the residual beam systematics and temperature-to-polarization leakage due to beam steering and shape mismatch between polarized beam pairs. We report on the simulated performance of single- and wide-band corrugations designed to minimize these effects. Our optimized design alleviates beam differential ellipticity caused by the metal frame to about 7% over 57% bandwidth (25 to 45 GHz), which is close to the level due the bare antenna itself without a metal frame. Initial laboratory measurements are also presented.

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arXiv2018

2017 upgrade and performance of BICEP3: a 95GHz refracting telescope for degree-scale CMB polarization

BICEP3 is a 520mm aperture on-axis refracting telescope observing the polarization of the cosmic microwave background (CMB) at 95GHz in search of the B-mode signal originating from inflationary gravitational waves. BICEP3's focal plane is populated with modularized tiles of antenna-coupled transition edge sensor (TES) bolometers. BICEP3 was deployed to the South Pole during 2014-15 austral summer and has been operational since. During the 2016-17 austral summer, we implemented changes to optical elements that lead to better noise performance. We discuss this upgrade and show the performance of BICEP3 at its full mapping speed from the 2017 and 2018 observing seasons. BICEP3 achieves an order-of-magnitude improvement in mapping speed compared to a Keck 95GHz receiver. We demonstrate $6.6μK\sqrt{s}$ noise performance of the BICEP3 receiver.

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arXiv2018

Measurements and Modeling of Near-Surface Radio Propagation in Glacial Ice and Implications for Neutrino Experiments

We present measurements of radio transmission in the $\sim$100 MHz range through a $\sim100$ m deep region below the surface of the ice at Summit Station, Greenland, called the firn. In the firn, the index of refraction changes due to the transition from snow at the surface to glacial ice below, affecting the propagation of radio signals in that region. We compare our observations to a finite-difference time-domain (FDTD) electromagnetic wave simulation, which supports the existence of three classes of propagation: a bulk propagation ray-bending mode that leads to so-called "shadowed" regions for certain geometries of transmission, a surface-wave mode induced by the ice/air interface, and an arbitrary-depth horizontal propagation mode that requires perturbations from a smooth density gradient. In the non-shadowed region, our measurements are consistent with the bulk propagation ray-bending mode both in timing and in amplitude. We also observe signals in the shadowed region, in conflict with a bulk-propagation-only ray-bending model, but consistent with FDTD simulations using a variety of firn models for Summit Station. The amplitude and timing of our measurements in all geometries are consistent with the predictions from FDTD simulations. In the shadowed region, the amplitude of the observed signals is consistent with a best-fit coupling fraction value of $2.4$% (0.06% in power) or less to a surface or horizontal propagation mode from the bulk propagation mode. The relative amplitude of observable signals in the two regions is important for experiments that aim to detect radio emission from astrophysical high-energy neutrinos interacting in glacial ice, which rely on a radio propagation model to inform simulations and perform event reconstruction.

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arXiv2018

Observation of Reconstructable Radio Emission Coincident with an X-Class Solar Flare in the Askaryan Radio Array Prototype Station

The Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) reports an observation of radio emission coincident with the "Valentine's Day" solar flare on Feb. 15$^{\rm{th}}$, 2011 in the prototype "Testbed" station. We find $\sim2000$ events that passed our neutrino search criteria during the 70 minute period of the flare, all of which reconstruct to the location of the sun. A signal analysis of the events reveals them to be consistent with that of bright thermal noise correlated across antennas. This is the first natural source of radio emission reported by ARA that is tightly reconstructable on an event-by-event basis. The observation is also the first for ARA to point radio from individual events to an extraterrestrial source on the sky. We comment on how the solar flares, coupled with improved systematic uncertainties in reconstruction algorithms, could aid in a mapping of any above-ice radio emission, such as that from cosmic-ray air showers, to astronomical locations on the sky.

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arXiv2018

Constraints on the diffuse high-energy neutrino flux from the third flight of ANITA

The Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA), a NASA long-duration balloon payload, searches for radio emission from interactions of ultra-high-energy neutrinos in polar ice. The third flight of ANITA (ANITA-III) was launched in December 2014 and completed a 22-day flight. We present the results of three analyses searching for Askaryan radio emission of neutrino origin. In the most sensitive of the analyses, we find one event in the signal region on an expected a priori background of $0.7^{+0.5}_{-0.3}$. Though consistent with the background estimate, the candidate event remains compatible with a neutrino hypothesis even after additional post-unblinding scrutiny.

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arXiv2018

Observation of an Unusual Upward-going Cosmic-ray-like Event in the Third Flight of ANITA

We report on an upward traveling, radio-detected cosmic-ray-like impulsive event with characteristics closely matching an extensive air shower. This event, observed in the third flight of the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA), a NASA-sponsored long-duration balloon payload, is consistent with a similar event reported in a previous flight. These events may be produced by the atmospheric decay of an upward-propagating $τ$-lepton produced by a $ν_τ$ interaction, although their relatively steep arrival angles create tension with the standard model (SM) neutrino cross section. Each of the two events have $a~posteriori$ background estimates of $\lesssim 10^{-2}$ events. If these are generated by $τ$-lepton decay, then either the charged-current $ν_τ$ cross section is suppressed at EeV energies, or the events arise at moments when the peak flux of a transient neutrino source was much larger than the typical expected cosmogenic background neutrinos.

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