PRESS-NEWS.org - Press Release Distribution
PRESS RELEASES DISTRIBUTION

IceCube particle detector in Antarctica records high-energy neutrinos

Achievement gives hope for 'extreme astronomy'

2013-12-02
(Press-News.org) Contact information: Amy Nelson
amy@spie.org
360-685-5478
SPIE--International Society for Optics and Photonics
IceCube particle detector in Antarctica records high-energy neutrinos Achievement gives hope for 'extreme astronomy'

BELLINGHAM, Washington, USA -- Scientists at a massive underground particle detector in Antarctica called the IceCube South Pole Neutrino Observatory have detected high-energy neutrinos, ideal for the future of "extreme astronomy" because they can be used to detect the sources of cosmic rays and provide information about our universe's most violent and least-understood phenomena.

"This is the first indication of very high-energy neutrinos coming from outside our solar system," says Francis Halzen in a press release about the discovery. Halzen is the principal scientist at IceCube and a physics professor at University of Wisconsin-Madison, where the IceCube project is headquartered. "It is gratifying to finally see what we have been looking for. This is the dawn of a new age of astronomy."

Because neutrinos are subatomic particles with little mass and no electric charge, their interactions with matter are so weak that they typically pass through Earth without detection, Halzen writes in "Observing high-energy neutrinos with IceCube," an open-access article published 26 November in the SPIE Newsroom.

A majority of the high-energy neutrinos zipping through the universe were produced in collisions around 15 billion years ago, soon after the birth of the universe. Others are constantly being produced from nuclear power stations, particle accelerators, nuclear bombs, atmospheric events, and during the births, collisions, and deaths of stars. About 100 trillion neutrinos pass through our bodies each second.

"They can travel unscathed from the edge of the universe, from the inner neighborhoods of black holes, and from the nuclear furnaces where cosmic rays are thought to be created," Halzen writes.

The $271-million IceCube particle detector transformed a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice into an array of 5,160 optical sensors on 86 strings that extend 8,000 feet below the ice surface, where the intense pressure provides completely transparent ice. Every so often, a high-energy neutrino passing through Earth collides with a nucleus in the ice, producing electrically charged secondary particles that radiate in a glow of blue light (called Cherenkov radiation).

"Now that we have the full detector we finally have the sensitivity to see these events," Halzen told SPIE.

The radiation spreads through the transparent ice for hundreds of feet, where it can be detected by the IceCube's optical sensors. By mapping the light pool using data collected from May 2010 to May 2012, scientists have discovered the flavor, energy, and arrival direction of more than 28 high-energy neutrino events so far.

Scientists were initially surprised to detect two neutrinos with ultra-high energies in the petaelectronvolt (PeV) range, rather than in the super-exaelectronvolt (EeV) range they expected for cosmogenic neutrinos. This information led them to design a filter for IceCube to exclusively identify neutrinos that interact inside the detector, eliminating issues with atmospheric neutrinos.

"After detecting hundreds of thousands of atmospheric neutrinos, we have finally found something different," says Halzen. "We've been waiting for this for a long time. Now on to the astronomy."



INFORMATION:

SPIE is the international society for optics and photonics, a not-for-profit organization founded in 1955 to advance light-based technologies. The Society serves nearly 235,000 constituents from approximately 155 countries, offering conferences, continuing education, books, journals, and a digital library in support of interdisciplinary information exchange, professional networking, and patent precedent. SPIE provided over $3.2 million in support of education and outreach programs in 2012.



ELSE PRESS RELEASES FROM THIS DATE:

Mediterranean diet without breakfast the best choice for diabetics

2013-12-02
Mediterranean diet without breakfast the best choice for diabetics For patients with diabetes, it is better to eat a single large meal than several smaller meals throughout the day. This is the result of a current dietary study at Linköping University in Sweden. In ...

Why tumors become resistant to chemotherapy?

2013-12-02
Why tumors become resistant to chemotherapy? IDIBELL Researchers describe epigenetic changes that explain the lack of response to drugs in colon cancer A common observation in oncology is the phenomenon that a patient with a tumor receives ...

Crossing continents -- where we drive affects how we drive

2013-12-02
Crossing continents -- where we drive affects how we drive According to the International Transport Forum Malaysia has one of the highest death rates from road traffic accidents in the world. While the number of road deaths continues to rise in ...

CNIO scientists create the first large catalog of interactions between drugs and proteins

2013-12-02
CNIO scientists create the first large catalog of interactions between drugs and proteins The catalog will serve to provide a reference tool for modern molecular pharmacology and for the study of the consequences of mutations in cancer The three-dimensional ...

Researchers identify genetic fingerprints of endangered conifers

2013-12-02
Researchers identify genetic fingerprints of endangered conifers The world's largest Podocarpaceae collection in Bochum In the tropics and subtropics, many evergreen conifers are endangered. Biologists at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum (RUB) have ...

The heart's own stem cells play their part in regeneration

2013-12-02
The heart's own stem cells play their part in regeneration Sca1 stem cells replace steadily aging heart muscle cells This news release is available in German. Up until a few years ago, the common school of thought held that the mammalian heart ...

Researchers pinpoint superbug resistance protein

2013-12-02
Researchers pinpoint superbug resistance protein Researchers have identified a resistance protein that allows bacteria to survive chlorhexidine, a disinfectant commonly used in wipes, cleansers and mouthwashes in hospitals. A study led jointly ...

Snapshots differentiate molecules from their mirror image

2013-12-02
Snapshots differentiate molecules from their mirror image Max Planck researchers are able to reveal the spatial structure of chiral molecules This news release is available in German. Small difference, large effect: Most biological molecules ...

Junk food and poor oral health increase risk of premature heart disease

2013-12-02
Junk food and poor oral health increase risk of premature heart disease The association between poor oral health and increased risk of cardiovascular disease should make the reduction of sugars such as those contained in junk food, particularly fizzy drinks, an important ...

How a legless, leaping fish that lives on land avoids predators

2013-12-02
How a legless, leaping fish that lives on land avoids predators SYDNEY: One of the world's strangest animals – a legless, leaping fish that lives on land - uses camouflage to avoid attacks by predators such as birds, lizards and crabs, new research ...

LAST 30 PRESS RELEASES:

Scientists target ‘molecular machine’ in the war against antimicrobial resistance

Extending classical CNOP method for deep-learning atmospheric and oceanic forecasting

Aston University research: Parents should encourage structure and independence around food to support children’s healthy eating

Thunderstorms are a major driver of tree death in tropical forests

Danforth Plant Science Center adds two new faculty members

Robotic eyes mimic human vision for superfast response to extreme lighting

Racial inequities and access to COVID-19 treatment

Residential segregation and lung cancer risk in African American adults

Scientists wipe out aggressive brain cancer tumors by targeting cellular ‘motors’

Capturability distinction analysis of continuous and pulsed guidance laws

CHEST expands Bridging Specialties Initiative to include NTM disease and bronchiectasis on World Bronchiectasis Day

Exposure to air pollution may cause heart damage

SwRI, UTSA selected by NASA to test electrolyzer technology aboard parabolic flight

Prebiotics might be a factor in preventing or treating issues caused by low brain GABA

Youngest in class at higher risk of mental health problems

American Heart Association announces new volunteer leaders for 2025-26

Gut microbiota analysis can help catch gestational diabetes

FAU’s Paulina DeVito awarded prestigious NSF Graduate Research Fellowship

Champions for change – Paid time off initiative just made clinical trials participation easier

Fentanyl detection through packaging

Prof. Eran Meshorer elected to EMBO for pioneering work in epigenetics

New 3D glacier visualizations provide insights into a hotter Earth

Creativity across disciplines

Consequences of low Antarctic sea ice

Hear here: How loudness and acoustic cues help us judge where a speaker is facing

A unique method of rare-earth recycling can strengthen the raw material independence of Europe and America

Epilepsy self-management program shows promise to control seizures, improve mood and quality of life

Fat may play an important role in brain metabolism

New study finds no lasting impact of pandemic pet ownership on human well-being

New insights on genetic damage of some chemotherapies could guide future treatments with less harmful side effects

[Press-News.org] IceCube particle detector in Antarctica records high-energy neutrinos
Achievement gives hope for 'extreme astronomy'