Submarine Navigation using Neutrinos

TL;DR

This paper explores the potential of neutrino-based navigation for submarines, proposing a high-level design and feasibility analysis that suggests near-term technological advancements could enable practical implementation.

Contribution

It presents a novel high-level design for neutrino-based submarine navigation and analyzes its feasibility with current and near-future technology.

Findings

Neutrino detection for submarine navigation is nearly feasible with current tech.

Simulations indicate potential for effective neutrino-based PNT systems.

Further advancements in neutrino source and detector technology are needed.

Abstract

Neutrinos are among the most abundant particles in the universe, nearly massless, travel at speeds near the speed of light and are electrically neutral. Neutrinos can be generated through man-made sources like particle accelerators or by natural sources like the sun. Neutrinos only interact via the weak force and gravity. Since gravitational interaction is extremely weak and the weak force has a very short range, neutrinos can travel long distances unimpeded through matter, reaching places inaccessible to GNSS (Global Navigation Satellite System) signals such as underwater locations. The main objective of this work is to sketch an early high-level design of a Neutrino PNT (Position, Navigation and Timing) mission and analyze its feasibility for submarine navigation since there is a need to improve current navigation technologies for submarines. The high-level preliminary concept proposes Cyclotrons or Linear Accelerators based on the physical process Pion Decay at Rest as neutrino sources. For detecting such isotropic neutrino fluxes user equipment must be composed of a high-performance clock synchronized with the system, a detector and possibly additional sensors such as IMU (Inertial Measurement Unit). A feasibility analysis of the recommended system option is performed based on simulations for determining the neutrino detection rate and on a PNT tool to estimate the PNT performances. Although the submarine navigation application is in the limit of being feasible with current technology, it could be realized with some important but reasonable progress in source and neutrino detector technology.