Neutrino Detection Antenna

• Main Author: Keechler, Samuel D
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: DigitalCommons@CalPoly 2020
• Subjects: Antenna; Neutrino; Matching Networks; Antenna Array; RNO-G; Slot Dipole; Electromagnetics and Photonics; Greenland
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/504; https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/context/eesp/article/1548/viewcontent/EE462SamuelKeechlerSp20FinalReport12JuneV6.pdf

Neutrinos carry valuable information about deep space events that researchers can utilize to study the early universe. Since the first neutrino was detected in 1956, it is a relatively new physics research topic. A new state-of-the-art research facility, the Radio Neutrino Observatory in Greenland (RNO-G), was developed to detect Ultra-High Energy (UHE) neutrinos, ones with energy greater than 100 PeV (1015 electronvolts). For reference, this amount of energy lifts an apple 5 cm, or drives a neutrino, a particle 1034 times smaller by mass, near the speed of light [1]. UHE neutrino events typically occur less than five times a year within the area covered by the RNO-G. Antennas detect UHF Askaryan radiation from UHE neutrino-dielectric interactions in the 100-1000 MHz range [2]. The H-pol Neutrino Detection Antenna tested at Cal Poly SLO minimizes VSWR level (3.570) within the 350-725 MHz frequency band and satisfies deployment size (13.5 in height, 5 in diameter).