The LED calibration systems for the mDOM and D-Egg sensor modules of the IceCube Upgrade

TL;DR

This paper details the design, production, and testing of LED calibration systems integrated into the IceCube Upgrade's sensor modules to enhance ice property calibration and neutrino detection accuracy.

Contribution

It introduces novel LED calibration modules for IceCube sensors, improving calibration capabilities for the upcoming detector upgrade.

Findings

Successful design and testing of LED flashers

Enhanced calibration accuracy for ice properties

Improved neutrino event resolution

Abstract

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, instrumenting about 1 km$^3$ of deep, glacial ice at the geographic South Pole, is due to be enhanced with the IceCube Upgrade. The IceCube Upgrade, to be deployed during the 2025/26 Antarctic summer season, will consist of seven new strings of photosensors, densely embedded near the bottom center of the existing array. Aside from a world-leading sensitivity to neutrino oscillations, a primary goal is the improvement of the calibration of the optical properties of the instrumented ice. These will be applied to the entire archive of IceCube data, improving the angular and energy resolution of the detected neutrino events. For this purpose, the Upgrade strings include a host of new calibration devices. Aside from dedicated calibration modules, several thousand LED flashers have been incorporated into the photosensor modules. We describe the design, production, and testing of these LED flashers before their integration into the sensor modules as well as the use of the LED flashers during lab testing of assembled sensor modules.