Operations plans and sensitivities of the IceCube Upgrade Camera System

TL;DR

The paper details the deployment plans and expected sensitivities of a novel camera system in the IceCube Upgrade, aimed at enhancing neutrino detection and ice property calibration.

Contribution

It introduces a new camera system for IceCube Upgrade, outlining its operation plans and potential to improve ice property measurements.

Findings

Operational plans for the camera system are established.

Sensitivity estimates for ice property measurements are provided.

The system is expected to significantly improve ice calibration accuracy.

Abstract

The IceCube Upgrade consists of seven new strings to be deployed in the central region of the existing IceCube detector. The goals of the IceCube Upgrade are two-fold: to enhance sensitivity to neutrinos in the GeV range, and to improve the calibration of the IceCube detector as a means of reducing systematic uncertainties due to the optical properties of the ice. Among other calibration devices designed to study ice properties, a novel camera system will be deployed as part of the Upgrade. The system will include three cameras, each paired with an illumination LED, included in each of the Upgrade optical modules. In total, 2,300 cameras will be deployed. A combination of photographic images from transmitted and reflected light will measure optical properties of both the bulk ice in-between strings and the local ice refrozen in the drill hole. In this contribution, we present the operations plans for these two types of measurements and the sensitivities to the ice properties and geometry of the new modules that can be achieved with the new camera system.