IceCube Collaboration Contributions to the 2009 International Cosmic Ray Conference
IceCube Collaboration Contributions to the 2009 International Cosmic Ray Conference
astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv subjects
P. Berghaus
Publications and source records attributed to P. Berghaus.
Calibration and Characterization of the IceCube Photomultiplier Tube
Over 5,000 PMTs are being deployed at the South Pole to compose the IceCube neutrino observatory. Many are placed deep in the ice to detect Cherenkov light emitted by the products of high-energy neutrino interactions, and others are frozen into tanks on the surface to detect particles from atmospheric cosmic ray showers. IceCube is using the 10-inch diameter R7081-02 made by Hamamatsu Photonics. This paper describes the laboratory characterization and calibration of these PMTs before deployment. PMTs were illuminated with pulses ranging from single photons to saturation level. Parameterizations are given for the single photoelectron charge spectrum and the saturation behavior. Time resolution, late pulses and afterpulses are characterized. Because the PMTs are relatively large, the cathode sensitivity uniformity was measured. The absolute photon detection efficiency was calibrated using Rayleigh-scattered photons from a nitrogen laser. Measured characteristics are discussed in the context of their relevance to IceCube event reconstruction and simulation efforts.
astro-ph.IM↗
Muons in IceCube
The IceCube detector allows for the first time a measurement of atmospheric muon and neutrino energy spectra from tens of GeV up to the PeV range. The lepton flux in the highest energy region depends on both the primary cosmic ray composition around the "knee" and the contribution from prompt decays of mostly charmed hadrons produced in air showers. It is demonstrated here that a direct measurement of the atmospheric muon spectrum in the region above 100 TeV is feasible using data that is already available.
astro-ph.HE↗
IceCube: Status and First Results
IceCube is a cubic neutrino telescope under construction at the South Pole since the austral summer 2004/2005 with a total instrumented volume of the order of 1 km^3. At the moment it is taking data with 40 deployed strings. The full detector is expected to be completed in 2011 with up to 80 strings holding 60 digital optical modules (DOMs) each. The progenitor detector AMANDA has been operating at the same site since 1997 and is still functioning as a means to enhance neutrino effective area at energies below 100 GeV. A summary of science results and status of the project is presented.
astro-ph↗