Radio Ice Cerenkov Experiment
Encyclopedia
Radio Ice Cerenkov Experiment (RICE) is an experiment designed to detect the Cherenkov
emission in the radio regime of the electromagnetic spectrum from the interaction of high energy
neutrino
s (greater than 1 PeV) with the Antarctic
ice cap. The goals of this experiment are to determine the potential of the radio-detection technique for measuring the high energy cosmic neutrino flux
, determining the sources of this flux, and measuring neutrino-nucleon
cross sections at energies above those accessible with existing accelerators
. Such an experiment also has sensitivity to neutrinos from gamma ray burst
s, as well as highly-ionizing charged particles (monopoles, e.g.) traversing the Antarctic icecap.
were installed successfully during the 1995-96 austral
summer. During the 1996-97 season, a prototype array of several antennas was deployed down the Antarctic Muon And Neutrino Detector Array
(AMANDA) bore holes at depths from 140-210 meters. This prototype demonstrated the ability to successfully deploy receivers and transmitters and enabled an estimate of the noise temperature in the deep ice. Several more receivers and transmitters were deployed in three new AMANDA holes during the 1997-1998 season, in dedicated shallow "dry" holes during the 1998-99 season, and finally in several AMANDA holes drilled during the 1999-2000 season. Five years of data-taking (comprising two years of livetime) resulted in the most stringent upper limits on the neutrino flux in the interval 50 PeV - 1 EeV, as well as results on departures from Standard Model
cross-sections and searches for Gamma-Ray Burst coincidences. Currently, RICE hardware is being modified for use in the IceCube
boreholes being drilled from 2006-2010.
Cherenkov radiation
Cherenkov radiation is electromagnetic radiation emitted when a charged particle passes through a dielectric medium at a speed greater than the phase velocity of light in that medium...
emission in the radio regime of the electromagnetic spectrum from the interaction of high energy
Particle physics
Particle physics is a branch of physics that studies the existence and interactions of particles that are the constituents of what is usually referred to as matter or radiation. In current understanding, particles are excitations of quantum fields and interact following their dynamics...
neutrino
Neutrino
A neutrino is an electrically neutral, weakly interacting elementary subatomic particle with a half-integer spin, chirality and a disputed but small non-zero mass. It is able to pass through ordinary matter almost unaffected...
s (greater than 1 PeV) with the Antarctic
Antarctic
The Antarctic is the region around the Earth's South Pole, opposite the Arctic region around the North Pole. The Antarctic comprises the continent of Antarctica and the ice shelves, waters and island territories in the Southern Ocean situated south of the Antarctic Convergence...
ice cap. The goals of this experiment are to determine the potential of the radio-detection technique for measuring the high energy cosmic neutrino flux
Flux
In the various subfields of physics, there exist two common usages of the term flux, both with rigorous mathematical frameworks.* In the study of transport phenomena , flux is defined as flow per unit area, where flow is the movement of some quantity per time...
, determining the sources of this flux, and measuring neutrino-nucleon
Nucleon
In physics, a nucleon is a collective name for two particles: the neutron and the proton. These are the two constituents of the atomic nucleus. Until the 1960s, the nucleons were thought to be elementary particles...
cross sections at energies above those accessible with existing accelerators
Particle accelerator
A particle accelerator is a device that uses electromagnetic fields to propel charged particles to high speeds and to contain them in well-defined beams. An ordinary CRT television set is a simple form of accelerator. There are two basic types: electrostatic and oscillating field accelerators.In...
. Such an experiment also has sensitivity to neutrinos from gamma ray burst
Gamma ray burst
Gamma-ray bursts are flashes of gamma rays associated with extremely energetic explosions that have been observed in distant galaxies. They are the most luminous electromagnetic events known to occur in the universe. Bursts can last from ten milliseconds to several minutes, although a typical...
s, as well as highly-ionizing charged particles (monopoles, e.g.) traversing the Antarctic icecap.
Experimental Operation and Results
Two antennasAntenna (radio)
An antenna is an electrical device which converts electric currents into radio waves, and vice versa. It is usually used with a radio transmitter or radio receiver...
were installed successfully during the 1995-96 austral
Southern Hemisphere
The Southern Hemisphere is the part of Earth that lies south of the equator. The word hemisphere literally means 'half ball' or "half sphere"...
summer. During the 1996-97 season, a prototype array of several antennas was deployed down the Antarctic Muon And Neutrino Detector Array
Antarctic Muon And Neutrino Detector Array
The Antarctic Muon And Neutrino Detector Array is a neutrino telescope located beneath the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station. In 2005, after nine years of operation, AMANDA officially became part of its successor project, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory.AMANDA consists of optical modules, each...
(AMANDA) bore holes at depths from 140-210 meters. This prototype demonstrated the ability to successfully deploy receivers and transmitters and enabled an estimate of the noise temperature in the deep ice. Several more receivers and transmitters were deployed in three new AMANDA holes during the 1997-1998 season, in dedicated shallow "dry" holes during the 1998-99 season, and finally in several AMANDA holes drilled during the 1999-2000 season. Five years of data-taking (comprising two years of livetime) resulted in the most stringent upper limits on the neutrino flux in the interval 50 PeV - 1 EeV, as well as results on departures from Standard Model
Standard Model
The Standard Model of particle physics is a theory concerning the electromagnetic, weak, and strong nuclear interactions, which mediate the dynamics of the known subatomic particles. Developed throughout the mid to late 20th century, the current formulation was finalized in the mid 1970s upon...
cross-sections and searches for Gamma-Ray Burst coincidences. Currently, RICE hardware is being modified for use in the IceCube
IceCube Neutrino Detector
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a neutrino telescope constructed at the Amundsen-Scott South Pole Station in Antarctica...
boreholes being drilled from 2006-2010.