1. A multi-cubic-kilometre neutrino telescope in the western Pacific Ocean
- Author
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Ye, Z. P., Hu, F., Tian, W., Chang, Q. C., Chang, Y. L., Cheng, Z. S., Gao, J., Ge, T., Gong, G. H., Guo, J., Guo, X. X., He, X. G., Huang, J. T., Jiang, K., Jiang, P. K., Jing, Y. P., Li, H. L., Li, J. L., Li, L., Li, W. L., Li, Z., Liao, N. Y., Lin, Q., Liu, F., Liu, J. L., Liu, X. H., Miao, P., Mo, C., Morton-Blake, I., Peng, T., Sun, Z. Y., Tang, J. N., Tang, Z. B., Tao, C. H., Tian, X. L., Wang, M. X., Wang, Y., Wei, H. D., Wei, Z. Y., Wu, W. H., Xian, S. S., Xiang, D., Xu, D. L., Xue, Q., Yang, J. H., Yang, J. M., Yu, W. B., Zeng, C., Zhang, F. Y. D., Zhang, T., Zhang, X. T., Zhang, Y. Y., Zhi, W., Zhong, Y. S., Zhou, M., Zhu, X. H., and Zhuang, G. J.
- Subjects
Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena ,Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics ,High Energy Physics - Experiment - Abstract
Next-generation neutrino telescopes with significantly improved sensitivity are required to pinpoint the sources of the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux detected by IceCube and uncover the century-old puzzle of cosmic ray origins. A detector near the equator will provide a unique viewpoint of the neutrino sky, complementing IceCube and other neutrino telescopes in the Northern Hemisphere. Here we present results from an expedition to the north-eastern region of the South China Sea, in the western Pacific Ocean. A favorable neutrino telescope site was found on an abyssal plain at a depth of $\sim$ 3.5km. At depths below 3km, the sea current speed, water absorption and scattering lengths for Cherenkov light, were measured to be $v_{\mathrm{c}}<$10cm/s, $\lambda_{\mathrm{abs} }\simeq$ 27m and $\lambda_{\mathrm{sca} }\simeq$ 63m, respectively. Accounting for these measurements, we present the design and expected performance of a next-generation neutrino telescope, TRopIcal DEep-sea Neutrino Telescope (TRIDENT). With its advanced photon-detection technology and large dimensions, TRIDENT expects to observe the IceCube steady source candidate NGC 1068 with 5$\sigma$ significance within 1 year of operation. This level of sensitivity will open a new arena for diagnosing the origin of cosmic rays and probing fundamental physics over astronomical baselines., Comment: 34 pages,12 figures. Correspondence should be addressed to D. L. Xu: donglianxu@sjtu.edu.cn
- Published
- 2022