arXiv subjects

M. Ackermann

Publications and source records attributed to M. Ackermann.

310 records · Page 18Linked to original sources

arXiv2006

The ICECUBE prototype string in AMANDA

The Antarctic Muon And Neutrino Detector Array (Amanda) is a high-energy neutrino telescope. It is a lattice of optical modules (OM) installed in the clear ice below the South Pole Station. Each OM contains a photomultiplier tube (PMT) that detects photons of Cherenkov light generated in the ice by muons and electrons. IceCube is a cubic-kilometer-sized expansion of Amanda currently being built at the South Pole. In IceCube the PMT signals are digitized already in the optical modules and transmitted to the surface. A prototype string of 41 OMs equipped with this new all-digital technology was deployed in the Amanda array in the year 2000. In this paper we describe the technology and demonstrate that this string serves as a proof of concept for the IceCube array. Our investigations show that the OM timing accuracy is 5 ns. Atmospheric muons are detected in excellent agreement with expectations with respect to both angular distribution and absolute rate.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2005

Limits to the muon flux from neutralino annihilations in the Sun with the AMANDA detector

A search for an excess of muon-neutrinos from neutralino annihilations in the Sun has been performed with the AMANDA-II neutrino detector using data collected in 143.7 days of live-time in 2001. No excess over the expected atmospheric neutrino background has been observed. An upper limit at 90% confidence level has been obtained on the annihilation rate of captured neutralinos in the Sun, as well as the corresponding muon flux limit at the Earth, both as functions of the neutralino mass in the range 100 GeV-5000 GeV.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Search for extraterrestrial point sources of high energy neutrinos with AMANDA-II using data collected in 2000-2002

The results of a search for point sources of high energy neutrinos in the northern hemisphere using data collected by AMANDA-II in the years 2000, 2001 and 2002 are presented. In particular, a comparison with the single-year result previously published shows that the sensitivity was improved by a factor of 2.2. The muon neutrino flux upper limits on selected candidate sources, corresponding to an E^{-2} neutrino energy spectrum, are included. Sky grids were used to search for possible excesses above the background of cosmic ray induced atmospheric neutrinos. This search reveals no statistically significant excess for the three years considered.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2004

Search for Neutrino-Induced Cascades with AMANDA

We report on a search for electro-magnetic and/or hadronic showers (cascades) induced by high energy neutrinos in the data collected with the AMANDA II detector during the year 2000. The observed event rates are consistent with the expectations for atmospheric neutrinos and muons. We place upper limits on a diffuse flux of extraterrestrial electron, tau and muon neutrinos. A flux of neutrinos with a spectrum $Φ\propto E^{-2}$ which consists of an equal mix of all flavors, is limited to $E^2 Φ(E)=8.6 x 10^{-7} GeV/(cm^{2} s sr)$ at a 90% confidence level for a neutrino energy range 50 TeV to 5 PeV. We present bounds for specific extraterrestrial neutrino flux predictions. Several of these models are ruled out.

astro-ph↗