Evolving Antennas for Ultra-High Energy Neutrino Detection

TL;DR

This paper presents the development of genetic algorithms to design more sensitive antennas for ultra-high energy neutrino detection, aiming to significantly improve detection capabilities in astrophysics.

Contribution

It introduces the first use of genetic algorithms with physics-based fitness scores to optimize antenna designs for neutrino detection, advancing astrophysical instrumentation.

Findings

Antennas designed via genetic algorithms show over 2x improvement in sensitivity.

The approach integrates simulation tools like XFdtd and neutrino experiment models.

Initial prototypes are planned for deployment in ice for testing.

Abstract

Evolutionary algorithms are a type of artificial intelligence that utilize principles of evolution to efficiently determine solutions to defined problems. These algorithms are particularly powerful at finding solutions that are too complex to solve with traditional techniques and at improving solutions found with simplified methods. The GENETIS collaboration is developing genetic algorithms to design antennas that are more sensitive to ultra high energy neutrino induced radio pulses than current detectors. Improving antenna sensitivity is critical because UHE neutrinos are rare and require massive detector volumes with stations dispersed over hundreds of km squared. The GENETIS algorithm evolves antenna designs using simulated neutrino sensitivity as a measure of fitness by integrating with XFdtd, a finite difference time domain modeling program, and with simulations of neutrino experiments. The best antennas will then be deployed in ice for initial testing. The genetic algorithm's aim is to create antennas that improve on the designs used in the existing ARA experiment by more than a factor of 2 in neutrino sensitivities. This research could improve antenna sensitivities in future experiments and thus accelerate the discovery of UHE neutrinos. This is the first time that antennas have been designed using genetic algorithms with a fitness score based on a physics outcome, which will motivate the continued use of genetic algorithm designed instrumentation in astrophysics and beyond. This proceeding will report on advancements to the algorithm, steps taken to improve the genetic algorithm performance, the latest results from our evolutions, and the manufacturing road map.