Ultra-High-Energy Neutrino Detection Antenna Simulations

• Main Author: Garcia, Nicholas C
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: DigitalCommons@CalPoly 2021
• Subjects: Neutrino; Antenna; Simulation; RNO-G; Electromagnetics and Photonics; Greenland
• Online Access: https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/eesp/539; https://digitalcommons.calpoly.edu/context/eesp/article/1599/viewcontent/auto_convert.pdf

Neutrinos allow researchers to investigate high-energy galactic phenomena, such as supernovae and black holes. Neutrinos interact with their surroundings via the weak nuclear force and therefore, travel unattenuated through space and are not deflected by electromagnetic fields. However, they do rarely interact with other particles. When neutrinos interact with nucleons (protons or neutrons) in a dielectric medium (i.e.: ice sheets), they are detectable through a cone of coherent electromagnetic radiation (Askaryan Radiation) created by the particle shower generated from the neutrino interaction [1]. The Radio Neutrino Observatory in Greenland (RNO-G) detects UHE neutrinos greater than 100 PeV (1015 eV) in energy. For reference, that level of energy is enough to lift an apple 5cm or drive the 100 PeV neutrino, which is nearly massless, near the speed of light [2]. Antennas operating in the bandwidth of 200MHz to 1000MHz detect impulse responses from neutrino-ice Askaryan radiation. This paper addresses the suitability of normal mode helical antenna (NMHA) and folded dipole antenna performance in detecting neutrino-induced radiation. The NMHA was selected over an axial mode helical antenna due to its omnidirectional radiation pattern and borehole (RNO-G antenna deployment) constraints.