Deep-Sea Acoustic Neutrino Detection and the AMADEUS System as a Multi-Purpose Acoustic Array

TL;DR

The paper explores the potential of acoustic detection for high-energy neutrinos in deep-sea environments, focusing on the AMADEUS system's capabilities for particle detection and positioning within the ANTARES telescope.

Contribution

It presents the AMADEUS system as a multi-purpose acoustic array that advances techniques for underwater neutrino detection and positioning, demonstrating its feasibility and potential for future large-scale telescopes.

Findings

AMADEUS successfully recorded broad-band acoustic signals up to 125 kHz.

The system demonstrated dual use for particle detection and positioning.

Experience suggests feasibility for future large-scale deep-sea neutrino telescopes.

Abstract

The use of conventional neutrino telescope methods and technology for detecting neutrinos with energies above 1 EeV from astrophysical sources would be prohibitively expensive and may turn out to be technically not feasible. Acoustic detection is a promising alternative for future deep-sea neutrino telescopes operating in this energy regime. It utilises the effect that the energy deposit of the particle cascade evolving from a neutrino interaction in water generates a coherently emitted sound wave with frequency components in the range between about 1 and 50 kHz. The AMADEUS (Antares Modules for Acoustic DEtection Under the Sea) project is integrated into the ANTARES neutrino telescope and aims at the investigation of techniques for acoustic particle detection in sea water. The acoustic sensors of AMADEUS are using piezo elements and are recording a broad-band signal with frequencies ranging up to 125 kHz. After an introduction to acoustic neutrino detection it will be shown how an acoustic array similar to AMADEUS can be used for positioning as well as acoustic particle detection. Experience from AMADEUS and possibilities for a future large scale neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea will be discussed.