High Energy Neutrino Astronomy: Status and Perspectives

TL;DR

This paper reviews the recent progress in high energy neutrino telescopes like IceCube and ANTARES, discusses their current status, and explores future prospects for neutrino astronomy in unveiling the high energy universe.

Contribution

It provides an overview of recent developments, current capabilities, and future plans for high energy neutrino telescopes, emphasizing the importance of increased sensitivity for discovery.

Findings

IceCube has deployed half of its planned volume.

ANTARES has completed its first stage with 12 strings.

Future detectors aim for sensitivities beyond IceCube.

Abstract

The year 2008 has witnessed remarkable steps in developing high energy neutrino telescopes. IceCube at the South Pole has been deployed with 40 of its planned 80 strings and reached half a cubic kilometer instrumented volume, in the Mediterranean Sea the "first-stage" neutrino telescope ANTARES has been completed and takes data with 12 strings. The next years will be key years for opening the neutrino window to the high energy universe. IceCube is presently entering a region with realistic discovery potential. Early discoveries (or non-discoveries) with IceCube will strongly influence the design and the estimated discovery chances of the Northern equivalent KM3NeT. Following theoretical estimates, cubic kilometer telescopes may just scratch the regions of discovery. Therefore detectors presently planned should reach sensitivities substantially beyond those of IceCube.