EUSO-SPB2: A sub-orbital cosmic ray and neutrino multi-messenger pathfinder observatory

TL;DR

EUSO-SPB2 is a balloon-borne observatory designed to detect ultra-high energy cosmic rays and neutrinos, testing new techniques and providing data to advance future space-based multi-messenger astrophysics.

Contribution

It introduces a novel sub-orbital platform with dual telescopes for multi-messenger detection, paving the way for future space missions targeting ultra-high energy particles.

Findings

Demonstrated feasibility of detecting UHECRs and neutrinos from a balloon platform.

Validated Cherenkov detection techniques for neutrino-induced tau decays.

Provided technical insights for future space-based observatories.

Abstract

The next generation of ultra-high energy cosmic ray (UHECR) and very-high energy neutrino observatories will address the challenge of the extremely low fluxes of these particles at the highest energies. EUSO-SPB2 (Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a Super Pressure Balloon2) is designed to prepare space missions to address this challenge. EUSO-SPB2 is equipped with 2 telescopes: the Fluorescence Telescope, which will point downwards and measure fluorescence emission from UHECR air showers with an energy above 2EeV, and the Cherenkov Telescope (CT), which will point towards the Earth's limb and measure direct Cherenkov emission from cosmic rays with energies above 1PeV, verifying the technique. Pointed below the limb, the CT will search for Cherenkov emission produced by neutrino-sourced tau-lepton decays above 10PeV energies and study backgrounds for such events. The EUSO-SPB2 mission will provide pioneering observations and technical milestones on the path towards a space-based multi-messenger observatory.