Research and calibration of Acoustic Sensors in ice within the SPATS (South Pole Acoustic Test Setup) project

TL;DR

This paper details the development and calibration of acoustic sensors in ice for neutrino detection, including a new testing facility and a resonant sensor for ambient noise analysis at the South Pole.

Contribution

It introduces a dedicated ice-based calibration facility and a novel resonant sensor for ambient noise characterization in the context of neutrino detection.

Findings

Calibration facility successfully characterizes acoustic sensors in ice.

Resonant sensor provides data on ambient noise levels.

First measurements demonstrate sensor performance in ice.

Abstract

We present development work aiming towards a large scale ice-based hybrid detector including acoustic sensors for the detection of neutrinos in the GZK range. A facility for characterization and calibration of acoustic sensors in clear (bubble-free) ice has been developed and the first measurements done at this facility are presented. Further, a resonant sensor intended primarily for characterization of the ambient noise in the ice at the South Pole has been developed and some data from its performance are given.