Enhancing air-shower observations: Results from an IceCube Surface Array Prototype Station

TL;DR

This paper reports on the development and deployment of a prototype surface array station for IceCube, integrating radio antennas and scintillation detectors to improve air-shower detection and measurement accuracy, paving the way for future large-scale arrays.

Contribution

It introduces a fully functional prototype station with multi-detector components, demonstrating enhanced air-shower detection capabilities and providing a pathway for the IceCube-Gen2 surface array.

Findings

Successful deployment and upgrade of the prototype station at South Pole

Preliminary results include air-shower searches and $X_\mathrm{max}$ estimation

Description of radio detection methods with multi-detector components

Abstract

The Surface Array Enhancement of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory is set to equip the existing surface cosmic-ray array of ice-Cherenkov detectors, IceTop, with radio antennas and scintillation detectors. This can lower the energy threshold of detection and increase the measurement accuracy of IceTop. The antenna readout uses a multiplicity trigger from the scintillation detectors. A fully functioning prototype station of the enhancement was deployed at the South Pole in 2020 and upgraded in 2023, and provides a pathway for the future IceCube-Gen2 surface array detector. Previous results include air-shower searches with existing data using traditional and machine learning methods and a preliminary estimation of $X_\mathrm{max}$. The detection methods for radio involving multi-detector components are described and the latest results are presented.