Seminari Generali

Listening for neutrinos - the ACORNE project

by Prof. L. Thompson (University of Sheffield, UK)

Europe/Rome
Aula M. Conversi (Dip. Fisica Edificio G. Marconi)

Aula M. Conversi

Dip. Fisica Edificio G. Marconi

Description
Ultra-high energy (UHE) neutrinos can travel immense distances across the Universe carrying information about their points of creation. Detecting energetic neutrinos is a difficult task, involving detectors up to cubic kilometres in size. A interesting new possibility for the detection of UHE neutrinos is that of acoustic detection whereby the acoustic pressure pulse generated as a UHE neutrino interacts in a large volume of water or ice is detected by an array of acoustic sensors. Recent years have seen something of a renaissance of this field and there are currently a number of activities worldwide to assess the potential of this technique. The UK-based ACORNE collaboration is one of these activities. The talk will present an introduction to neutrino astrophysics, explain the acoustic detection technique and summarise world activities in the field including ACORNE's R&D work, which involves simulation, potential neutrino flux sensitivities, calibration and data acquisition at an existing hydrophone array in Scotland.