Angular Dependence of Vertically Propagating Radio-Frequency Signals in South Polar Ice

TL;DR

This study investigates how radio-frequency signals propagate vertically in South Polar ice, confirming birefringence effects and internal-layer reflections, which impact ultra-high energy neutrino detection methods.

Contribution

It extends previous horizontal propagation analysis to vertical trajectories, validating birefringence models and revealing internal-layer reflections' implications for neutrino experiments.

Findings

Timing data align with birefringence models.

Internal-layer reflections correlate with ice flow direction.

Vertical propagation data support improved neutrino energy estimation.

Abstract

To better understand the effect of ice properties on the capabilities of radio experiments designed to measure ultra-high energy neutrinos (UHEN), we recently considered the timing and amplitude characteristics of radio-frequency (RF) signals propagating along multi-kilometer, primarily horizontal trajectories through cold Polar ice at the South Pole. That analysis indicated satisfactory agreement with a model of ice birefringence based on c-axis data culled from the South Pole Ice Core Experiment (SPICE). Here we explore the geometrically complementary case of signals propagating along primarily vertical trajectories, using published data from the Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) experiment, supplemented by a re-analysis of older RICE experimental data. The timing characteristics of those data are in general agreement with the same birefringence model. Re-analysis of older RICE data also confirm the correlation of signal amplitudes reflected from internal-layers with the direction of ice flow, similar to previous observations made along a traverse from Dome Fuji to the Antarctic coast. These results have two important implications for radio-based UHEN experiments: i) owing to birefringence, the timing characteristics of signals propagating from neutrino-ice interactions, either vertically or horizontally, to a distant receiver may be used to infer the distance-to-vertex, which is necessary to estimate the energy of the progenitor neutrino, ii) the measured reflectivity of internal layers may result in previously-unanticipated backgrounds to UHEN searches, requiring significantly more modeling and simulations to estimate.