High Energy Neutrino Telescopes

TL;DR

This review discusses the development, current status, and scientific potential of high energy neutrino telescopes, which aim to explore astrophysical phenomena and fundamental physics at energies beyond gamma-ray observations.

Contribution

It provides a comprehensive overview of the history, technological progress, and scientific goals of high energy neutrino telescopes, highlighting their potential to reveal new insights into the universe.

Findings

First kilometer-cube scale detectors operational at South Pole and Mediterranean

Potential to study cosmic ray origins and dark matter

First glimpse of the distant universe at ultra-high energies

Abstract

This paper presents a review of the history, motivation and current status of high energy neutrino telescopes. Many years after these detectors were first conceived, the operation of kilometer-cubed scale detectors is finally on the horizon at both the South Pole and in the Mediterranean Sea. These new detectors will perhaps provide us the first view of high energy astrophysical objects with a new messenger particle and provide us with our first real glimpse of the distant universe at energies above those accessible by gamma-ray instruments. Some of the topics that can be addressed by these new instruments include the origin of cosmic rays, the nature of dark matter, and the mechanisms at work in high energy astrophysical objects such as gamma-ray bursts, active galactic nuclei, pulsar wind nebula and supernova remnants.