A large fiber sensor network for an acoustic neutrino telescope

Abstract

Abstract. The scientific prospects of detecting neutrinos with an energy close or even higher than the GKZ cut-off energy has been discussed extensively in literature. It is clear that due to their expected low flux, the detection of these ultra-high energy neutrinos (E ν > 10 18 eV) requires a telescope larger than 100 km 3 . Acoustic detection may provide a way to observe these ultra-high energy cosmic neutrinos, as sound that they induce in the deep sea when neutrinos lose their energy travels undisturbed for many kilometers. To realize a large scale acoustic neutrino telescope, dedicated technology must be developed that allows for a deep sea sensor network. Fiber optic hydrophone technology provides a promising means to establish a large scale sensor network [1] with the proper sensitivity to detect the small signals from the neutrino interactions.

Acoustic detection of high energy neutrinos in sea water: status and prospects

“…This would be an intermediate step towards an even bigger acoustic detector for UHE neutrinos. New concepts, in particular fibre-based hydrophones, can be used in the long run to further increase the instrumented volume of KM3NeT beyond the volume instrumented for optical detection, see [27] and references therein.…”

“…The KM3NeT neutrino telescope [26] will comprise a huge array of acoustic sensors for position calibration that can be used for further studies of neutrino detection. Concepts employing fibre-based hydrophones as an alternative to piezo-based sensors for a potential future extension to KM3NeT are discussed elsewhere [27].…”

Acoustic detection of neutrinos in bedrock

“…Water Rock Thermal expansion coefficient, α To verify the feasibility of the proposed approach one could insert into the water-filled boreholes several hydrophones of the type used or planned to be used by ANTARES/AMADEUS [10] and KM3NeT [11]. As a next step one could verify coupling of acoustic piezo sensors, for instance of the type described in [12], directly to the rock.…”