The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection

TL;DR

GRAND is a large-scale radio array designed to detect high-energy neutrinos from cosmic sources, aiming to explore violent astrophysical phenomena and cosmic ray origins with unprecedented sensitivity.

Contribution

This paper introduces the design and objectives of the GRAND project, a novel large-scale radio array for high-energy neutrino detection, outlining its technological approach and scientific goals.

Findings

Design achieves sensitivity to cosmogenic neutrinos above 3×10^{16} eV.

Expected detection of about 100 neutrino events per year under standard models.

Preliminary design demonstrates feasibility and potential for adaptation to other astrophysical measurements.

Abstract

High-energy neutrino astronomy will probe the working of the most violent phenomena in the Universe. The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection (GRAND) project consists of an array of $\sim10^5$ radio antennas deployed over $\sim$200000km$^2$ in a mountainous site. It aims at detecting high-energy neutrinos via the measurement of air showers induced by the decay in the atmosphere of $\tau$ leptons produced by the interaction of the cosmic neutrinos under the Earth surface. Our objective with GRAND is to reach a neutrino sensitivity of $3\times10^{-11}E^{-2}$GeV$^{-1}$cm$^{-2}$s$^{-1}$sr$^{-1}$ above $3 \times10^{16}$eV. This sensitivity ensures the detection of cosmogenic neutrinos in the most pessimistic source models, and about 100 events per year are expected for the standard models. GRAND would also probe the neutrino signals produced at the potential sources of UHECRs. We show how our preliminary design should enable us to reach our sensitivity goals, and present the experimental characteristics. We assess the possibility to adapt GRAND to other astrophysical radio measurements. We discuss in this token the technological options for the detector and the steps to be taken to achieve the GRAND project.