Neutrino astrophysics with the ANTARES Cherenkov detector

The ANTARES neutrino telescope is currently the largest operating water Cherenkov detector and the largest neutrino detector in the Northern Hemisphere. The detector array consists of 12 detector lines holding a total of 885 Optical Modules and is located in the Mediterranean Sea at a depth of about 2500 m. Its scientific target is the detection of ultra-high energy cosmic neutrinos through measurement of Cherenkov radiation from neutrino-induced charged leptons. ANTARES is thus optimized for the detection of high-energy muons which are produced in the vicinity of the detection volume. Since the completion of the detector in 2008, analysis of the ANTARES data is continuously improving. Its primary goal is the identification of neutrinos from cosmic accelerators as predicted by hadronic interaction models, and the measurement of the diffuse neutrino flux. Further investigation covers the search for neutrinos from dark matter annihilation and the measurement of neutrino oscillations. The various prospects and current status of the analysis will be presented.