Shower angular resolution in IceCube-Gen2 and implications on diffuse science

Abstract

Over the past decade, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory has discovered a diffuse astrophysical flux and evidence for the first astrophysical neutrino sources, thus highlighting the utility of neutrinos as a new messenger in astronomy. IceCube-Gen2, proposed to be eight times larger than the current detector, will be able to accelerate new discoveries. In order to reach the target volume necessary, the detector is designed with a sparser string spacing. With twice the interstring distance of IceCube, the angular reconstruction of particle showers in IceCube-Gen2 will benefit from new multi-PMT optical modules, accurate modeling of ice properties and a precise understanding of all available sensor data. In this contribution, we show the achievable angular and energy resolutions for shower events observed in IceCube-Gen2 and their dependencies on sensor efficiencies. Implications on diffuse measurements will also be discussed.