The next generation neutrino telescope: IceCube-Gen2

TL;DR

IceCube-Gen2 is a planned large-scale neutrino detector at the South Pole, aiming to significantly improve sensitivity for high-energy neutrino detection and source identification through expanded optical, surface, and radio detection arrays.

Contribution

This paper details the design, components, and expected sensitivity of the next-generation IceCube-Gen2 neutrino observatory, advancing the capabilities of neutrino astrophysics.

Findings

Design and status of IceCube-Gen2 components described.

Simulations indicate fivefold sensitivity increase over IceCube.

Enhanced detection of neutrino sources beyond EeV expected.

Abstract

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a cubic-kilometer-scale neutrino detector at the geographic South Pole, has reached a number of milestones in the field of neutrino astrophysics: the discovery of a high-energy astrophysical neutrino flux, the temporal and directional correlation of neutrinos with a flaring blazar, and a steady emission of neutrinos from the direction of an active galaxy of a Seyfert II type and the Milky Way. The next generation neutrino telescope, IceCube-Gen2, currently under development, will consist of three essential components: an array of about 10,000 optical sensors, embedded within approximately 8 cubic kilometers of ice, for detecting neutrinos with energies of TeV and above, with a sensitivity five times greater than that of IceCube; a surface array with scintillation panels and radio antennas targeting air showers; and buried radio antennas distributed over an area of more than 400 square kilometers to significantly enhance the sensitivity of detecting neutrino sources beyond EeV. This contribution describes the design and status of IceCube-Gen2 and discusses the expected sensitivity from the simulations of the optical, surface, and radio components.