Tuning into UHE Neutrinos in Antarctica - The ANITA Experiment

• Main Authors: Miocinovic, P., Barwick, S. W., Beatty, J. J., Besson, D. Z., Binns, W. R., Cai, B., Clem, J. M., Connolly, A., Coutu, S., Cowen, D. F., Dowkontt, P. F., DuVernois, M. A., Evenson, P. A., Goldstein, D., Gorham, P. W., Hebert, C. L., Israel, M. H., Learned, J. G., Liewer, K. M., Link, J. T., Matsuno, S., Nam, J. W., Naudet, C. J., Nichol, R., Palladino, K. J., Rosen, M., Saltzberg, D., Seckel, D., Silvestri, A., Varner, G. S., Williams, D.
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: arXiv 2005
• Subjects: Astrophysics astro-ph; FOS Physical sciences; Antarctic; Austral; The Antarctic; Antarc*; Antarctica; Ice cap
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.astro-ph/0503304; https://arxiv.org/abs/astro-ph/0503304

The Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) experiment is being developed to search for ultra-high-energy (UHE) neutrino interactions ($>3\times10^{18}$ eV) in the Antarctic ice cap. A neutrino interaction in the ice will produce a radio pulse by the means of the Askaryan effect. The large radio transparency of ice allows for such a pulse to be recorded by a cluster of balloon-borne antennas. The details of the ANITA instrument, now in a construction phase, and the science we hope to achieve is discussed. In order to prepare for the main mission, we have flown ANITA-lite during the 2003/04 austral season. ANITA-lite consisted of two quad-ridge horn antennas and a prototype RF (radio frequency) triggering and recording system. Here we present the results of an impulsive RF background survey of Antarctica, as well as proof-of-principle gain, tracking, and timing calibrations conducted by observing solar radio emissions and calibration radio-pulses. A preliminary UHE neutrino flux limit based on ANITA-lite data is also presented. : Presented at 22nd Texas Symposium on Relativistic Astrophysics at Stanford, Palo Alto, 13-17 December 2004, (TSRA04-2516) 6 pages, LaTeX, 10 eps figures