KM3NeT/ARCA Seafloor Network Infrastructure

• Main Author: Biagi, Simone
• Format: Lecture
• Language: English
• Published: Zenodo 2024
• Subjects: Data Science and Detector R&D; Neutrino Telescopes; Underwater detector; Astrophysical Neutrinos; Orca
• Online Access: https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.10658116

Parallel Talk presented at the XX International Workshop on Neutrino Telescopes - Venice 23-27 October 2023 Abstract: KM3NeT is a multi-site detector observatory devoted to the detection and study of cosmic neutrinos and theirsources in the Universe and to the measurement of the neutrino oscillation parameters. Two detectors areunder construction in the Mediterranean Sea: ARCA, offshore Portopalo di Capo Passero, Italy, and ORCA,offshore Toulon, France. ARCA will comprise more than 200 detection units, vertical structures anchored on theseafloor with a height of 710 m, equipped with a total of 128,000 photomultiplier tubes to detect the feeblelight cone produced after the neutrino interactions. The detector must operate continuously for about 20 yearswithout maintenance since its topology does not allow the recovery of assets. Currently, 28 detection units aredeployed and provide data in real-time. The second phase of the construction of ARCA has started with theinstallation of a Direct Current - Fibre Optic system, which is composed of an onshore 100 kW power feedingequipment, a “Y”-shaped electro-optical cable with 48 fibres and two copper conductors, a cable terminationframe equipped with four 10 kW medium-voltage converters, 16 electrical and 16 optical ROV mateableconnectors. A major step for the deployment of the ARCA subsea infrastructure was the construction andinstallation of the junction boxes, which allow for the connection of several detection units to a single cabletermination frame port, through a network of electro-optical cables laid on the seafloor. High-reliability criteria,including component selection, process control, and strategic redundancy adoption, are used for powerelectronics, optical routing, and amplification controls. In this talk, the main technological efforts accomplishedin the last years are presented, along with an overview of the entire ARCA infrastructure, comprising bothunderwater and onshore parts.