Letter of Interest: Ocean science with the Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment

TL;DR

The P-ONE project proposes a large-scale neutrino telescope in the deep Pacific Ocean, aiming to facilitate oceanographic research through advanced instrumentation and interdisciplinary collaboration.

Contribution

This paper introduces the P-ONE neutrino detector concept and highlights its potential for supporting oceanographic and marine science research.

Findings

Design of a cubic-kilometer scale neutrino telescope in the Pacific Ocean

Potential integration of optical, acoustic, and other sensors for ocean research

Initial plans for collaboration with oceanographic communities

Abstract

The Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment (P-ONE) is a proposed cubic-kilometer scale neutrino telescope planned to be installed in the deep-sea of the north-east Pacific Ocean. In collaboration with the optical deep-sea data and communications network operated by Ocean Networks Canada, an international collaboration of researchers plans to install an array of kilometer-long mooring lines in a depth of around 2660 m to the relatively flat deep-sea region called Cascadia Basin, around 300 miles West of Vancouver Island. With the design and development ongoing, the P-ONE collaboration is interested to initiate participation of fellow scientists of the oceanographic and marine science communities to provide expertise and experience towards deploying additional or inclusive instrumentation and measurement strategies for doing oceanographic research. In addition to the monitoring of optical bioluminescence and deep-ocean dynamics and thermodynamics, active and passive acoustics can be installed within the P-ONE array. This letter summarizes the P-ONE detector and a non-exhaustive list of potential topics of interest for oceanographic and marine research.