A radio air shower surface detector as an extension for IceCube and IceTop

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of a radio air shower detector as an extension to IceTop, aiming to enhance high-energy cosmic ray detection and background reduction for IceCube through simulations of radio signals and sensitivity estimates.

Contribution

It introduces the concept of a radio air shower detector extension for IceTop, providing simulations and sensitivity analysis to improve high-energy cosmic ray detection.

Findings

Radio signals from air showers can be detected with proposed antenna configurations.

Radio detection can increase sensitivity at higher shower energies.

Simulations show promising potential for radio extension to IceTop.

Abstract

The IceCube neutrino detector is built into the Antarctic ice sheet at the South Pole to measure high energy neutrinos. For this, 4800 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) are being deployed at depths between 1450 and 2450 meters into the ice to measure neutrino induced charged particles like muons. IceTop is a surface air shower detector consisting of 160 Cherenkov ice tanks located on top of IceCube. To extend IceTop, a radio air shower detector could be built to significantly increase the sensitivity at higher shower energies and for inclined showers. As air showers induced by cosmic rays are a major part of the muonic background in IceCube, IceTop is not only an air shower detector, but also a veto to reduce the background in IceCube. Air showers are detectable by radio signals with a radio surface detector. The major emission process is the coherent synchrotron radiation emitted by e+ e- shower particles in the Earths magnetic field (geosynchrotron effect). Simulations of the expected radio signals of air showers are shown. The sensitivity and the energy threshold of different antenna field configurations are estimated.