ANTARES: Status, first results and multi-messenger astronomy

TL;DR

ANTARES is a large underwater neutrino detector in the Mediterranean Sea, designed to identify cosmic neutrinos from various astrophysical sources using Cherenkov light detection.

Contribution

This paper reports on the deployment, status, and initial results of the ANTARES neutrino telescope, the largest of its kind in the Northern Hemisphere.

Findings

Successful deployment of the detector in 2008

Initial data collection and analysis underway

Potential for identifying cosmic neutrino sources

Abstract

The ANTARES Collaboration has completed in 2008 the deployment of what is currently the largest high energy neutrino detector in the Northern hemisphere. The search for cosmic neutrinos in the energy range between tens of GeV and tens of PeV is performed by means of a three dimensional array of photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), arranged on 12 vertical structures (strings) located in the Mediterranean Sea at a depth of about 2500 meters. The detection principle relies on the identification of the Cherenkov light produced as ultra-relativistic muons propagate in water. The main goal of the detector is the search for point-like sources of cosmic neutrinos from both Galactic and extra-Galactic sources. Besides the search for point sources, other analysis topics are strongly pursued and will be described in the following.