1:00–2:00 pm
Please join us:
Kaeli Hughes' PhD Thesis Defense
Tuesday, April 19, 2022 at 1:00 PM CDT
A Low-Threshold Neutrino Search with the Askaryan Radio Array
Neutrinos offer a unique view into the ultrahigh-energy (>10 PeV) universe. Unlike cosmic rays and gamma rays, which are deflected or absorbed as they travel through the universe, neutrinos point back to their sources and rarely interact. This makes them ideal messenger particles to better understand the production mechanisms within distant or dense astrophysical sources.
Here I discuss the progress so far in detecting neutrinos above 10 PeV, with specific focus on the Askaryan Radio Array (ARA), an experiment at the South Pole that targets the radio emission from neutrino-induced particle cascades. The newest ARA station is equipped with a phased array trigger, which lowers the trigger threshold compared to previous ARA stations and thus increases the neutrino sensitivity. I report new results using data from this phased array trigger and show a corresponding improvement in analysis efficiency, rejecting thermal backgrounds and providing vertex direction to the deep ice. I will also discuss the implications of this analysis for future radio-detection experiments.
Committee members:
Abigail Vieregg (Chair)
Angela Olinto
Paolo Privatera
David Miller
After graduation, Kaeli will be a post-doc for Abby working on PUEO and RNO-G.