VLVnT13 - Very Large Volume Neutrino Telescope Workshop 2013

Europe/Stockholm
AlbaNova University Center

AlbaNova University Center

Description

VLVnT 2013 is the 6th edition of the Very Large Volume Neutrino Telescope Workshop and will be held 5-7 August 2013, in Stockholm, Sweden.

The workshop provides an ideal forum to discuss the latest developments in neutrino astronomy together with progress on the technological and instrumentation aspects of current and future large scale detectors in water and ice.

The meeting will take place in the central Stockholm area at the AlbaNova university building, which is home to the physics departments of both Stockholm University and the Royal Institute of Technology, as well as the Oskar Klein Centre for Cosmoparticle Physics.

    • 08:30 09:00
      Registration 30m Main Entrance

      Main Entrance

      AlbaNova University Center

    • 09:00 10:30
      Neutrino Telescopes Oskar Klein Auditorium

      Oskar Klein Auditorium

      AlbaNova University Center

      • 09:15
        Recent Results from the ANTARES neutrino telescope 35m
        The ANTARES detector, located 40 km off the French coast, is the largest deep-sea neutrino telescope in the Northern Hemisphere. It consists of an array of 885 photomultipliers detecting the Cherenkov light induced by charged leptons produced by neutrino interactions in and around the detector. The primary goal of ANTARES is to search for astrophysical neutrinos in the TeV- PeV range. This comprises generic searches for any diffuse cosmic neutrino flux as well as more specific searches for astrophysical sources such as active galactic nuclei or Galactic sources. The search program also includes multi-messenger analyses based on time and/or space coincidences with other cosmic probes. The ANTARES observatory is sensitive to a wide-range of other phenomena, from atmospheric neutrino oscillations to dark matter annihilation or potential exotics such as nuclearites and magnetic monopoles. We will report on the most recent results obtained with 5 years of data acquired by the telescope.
        Speaker: Dr Thomas Eberl (ECAP / Univ. Erlangen)
        Slides
      • 09:50
        Latest results from IceCube 35m
        The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, completed in December 2010, is located at the geographic South Pole and incorporates a one cubic kilometer neutrino detector buried in the deep ice and a one square kilometer air shower array, IceTop, sitting atop the glacial ice. This unique combination of neutrino and cosmic-ray detectors allows to investigate a wide variety of physics topics both in astrophysics and particle physics. The talk will present latest results from IceCube concentrating on the astrophysical aspects.
        Speaker: Alexander Kappes (Humboldt University / DESY)
        Slides
    • 10:30 11:00
      Break 30m Main Entrance

      Main Entrance

      AlbaNova University Center

    • 11:00 12:30
      High Energy Neutrinos - Results and Theory Oskar Klein Auditorium

      Oskar Klein Auditorium

      AlbaNova University Center

      • 11:00
        Results from IceCube Contained Event Search 35m
        Speaker: Dr Nathan Whitehorn (University of Wisconsin - Madison)
        Slides
      • 11:35
        Multi-Messenger Tests of the IceCube Excess 35m
        The IceCube Collaboration has recently reported evidence for an extraterrestrial neutrino flux. The flux is consistent with an isotropic diffuse emission which favors an extragalactic origin. However, it is not yet possible to rule out a quasi-diffuse or sub- dominant emission from multiple high-latitude or extended Galactic sources. I discuss the implications of gamma-ray observations for various Galactic or extragalactic candidate sources of the IceCube excess. The contribution of Galactic sources can be tested via primary TeV-PeV gamma-rays from the decay of neutral pions produced in the same cosmic ray interactions. Hadronuclear interactions of cosmic rays in extragalactic sources can be tested by secondary GeV-TeV diffuse gamma-rays observed by Fermi.
        Speaker: Markus Ahlers (UW-Madison & WIPAC)
        Slides
    • 12:30 14:00
      Lunch 1h 30m down the street

      down the street

      AlbaNova University Center

    • 14:00 15:35
      Photodetection and Readout I. FB54

      FB54

      AlbaNova University Center

      • 14:00
        The electronics readout and data acquisition system of the KM3NeT Neutrino Telescope Node 20m
        The KM3NeT neutrino telescope will be composed by tens of thousands of glass spheres (nodes) including each 31 of small photocathode (3''). The readout and data acquisition system of KM3NeT has to collect, treat and send to shore, in an economic way, the enormous amount of data produced by the photomultipliers and at the same time to provide time synchronization between each node at the level of 1 ns. It is described in the present article the integration of the White Rabbit protocol on the Central Logic Board (CLB) of the node for synchronizing the nodes in a transparent way and the front end ASICs to readout the photomultipliers and the correspondent collecting boards. Moreover the Time to Digital Converters embedded on the CLB FPGA where the required resolution to measure both, time of flight ofthe photomultiplier signals and time stamp of 1 ns are achieved or the associated instrumentation are described.
        Speaker: Mr Diego Real (IFIC)
        Slides
      • 14:20
        The electronic system of the Towers for the KM3NeT-Italy Cherenkov Neutrino Detector. 20m
        The KM3NeT-Italy Collaboration has entered the production stage of an 8 tower apparatus that will be deployed at about 100 km away from the Sicily coast. The architecture of the system is based on the NEMO Phase-2 prototype tower that is taking data since the deployment in March 2013. In order to optimize production costs, power consumption, and usability some components have been re- engineered by taking advantage of the previously gained experience and technological progress. The aim of this contribution is to give an overview of the main features that characterize the new apparatus.
        Speaker: Dr Francesco Simeone (University "Sapienza" and INFN Rome)
        Slides
      • 14:40
        1 ns Time to Digital Converter for KM3NeT Data Readout System 20m
        Time to Digital Converters (TDCs) are a very common devices in particle physics experiments. In the case of KM3NeT, thirty-one 1-ns resolution TDCs are used in order to discretize the photomultiplier output. The TDC has been embedded on a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA). An architecture with low resources occupancy has been used allowing the implementation of other instrumentation, communication and synchronization systems on the same device. The required resolution to measure both the time of flight and the time stamp must be 1 ns. A 4X Oversampling technique with two high frequency clocks has been used to achieve this resolution. The proposed TDC firmware has been developed using very few resources in Xilinx Kintex-7 FPGA. On the present article the TDC system is presented in detail.
        Speaker: Mr David Calvo (IFIC)
        Slides
      • 15:00
        Long-term optical background measurements in the Capo Passero deep-sea site 20m
        In March 2013, the Nemo Phase II tower has been successfully installed at Capo Passero, Italy, at 3500 m depth. The 8-floor tower hosts 32 10-inch PMTs. Results from the last 3-months background measurements will be presented. In particular, the analyzed rates show stable and low baseline values, compatible with the contribution of 40K light emission, with a small percentage of light bursts due to bioluminescence. All these features are a confirmation of the stability and the good optical nature of the site.
        Speaker: Dr Maria Grazia Pellegriti for the Nemo collaboration (INFN-LNS)
        Slides
      • 15:20
        PMTs development by Hamamatsu 15m
        Hamamatsu report on new developments concerning 3 inch PMTs, multi-anode PMTs, low temperature PMTs etc.
        Speaker: Mr Yuji Hotta (Hamamatsu Photonics)
    • 14:00 15:30
      Physics, Reconstruction, and Software I. FB53

      FB53

      AlbaNova University Center

      • 14:00
        IceVeto: Extended PeV neutrino astronomy in the Southern Hemisphere with IceCube. 20m
        IceCube, the world’s largest high-energy neutrino observatory, built at the South Pole, recently reported evidence of an astrophysical neutrino flux extending to PeV energies in the Southern Hemisphere. This observation raises the question of how the sensitivity in this energy range could be further increased. In the downgoing sector, in IceCube’s case the Southern Hemisphere, backgrounds from cosmic ray muons and neutrinos pose a challenge to the identification of an astrophysical neutrino flux. The IceCube analysis, which led to the evidence for astrophysical neutrinos, is based on an in-ice veto strategy for background rejection. One possibility available to IceCube is the concept of an extended surface detector, IceVeto, which could allow the rejection of a large fraction of atmospheric backgrounds, primarily for muons from air showers as well as from neutrinos in the same air showers. Building on the experience of IceTop/IceCube, possibly the most cost-effective and detection-efficient way to build IceVeto is as an extension of the IceTop detector, with simple photomultiplier based detector modules for CR air shower detection. Initial simulations and estimates indicate that such a veto detector will significantly increase the sensitivity to an astrophysical flux of nu_mu induced muon tracks in the Southern Hemisphere compared to current analyses. Here we present the motivation and capabilities based on initial simulations. Conceptual ideas for simplified surface detectors will be discussed briefly.
        Speaker: Dr Jan Auffenberg (University of Wisconsin Madison)
        Slides
      • 14:20
        Sensitivity of the KM3NeT detector to a neutrino flux from the Fermi Bubbles. 20m
        A recent analysis of the Fermi data provides evidence of the emission of high energy gamma rays (up to 100 GeV) with a high-intensity E-2 spectrum. This emission was detected as originating from two large areas around the Galactic center, spanning 50° above and below the Galactic center and 40° in longitude, with no evidence of spacial variation both in the spectrum shape and in the intensity. Currently, not all observed features of the Fermi bubbles are fully explained by a leptonic mechanism and an hadronic mechanism has been proposed. The possible origin of high energy gammas from an hadronic mechanism makes these bubbles promising sources for high energy neutrino emission. The KM3NeT collaboration has started the implementation of the first phase of a deep-sea research infrastructure hosting a multi-cubic-kilometer scale high energy neutrino detector in the Mediterranean Sea. The Galactic Centre and its environment will be in the central field of view of this detector, making it the ideal instrument for the observation of neutrino from Fermi Bubbles. In this work some predictions, based on Monte Carlo simulations and on the high energy gamma observations, regarding the possible detection of high energy neutrinos from the Fermi bubbles will be presented.
        Speaker: Dr Paolo Piattelli (INFN - Laboratori Nazionali del Sud)
        Slides
      • 14:40
        Sensitivity of the KM3NeT detector to neutrino fluxes from Galactic point-like sources 20m
        The KM3NeT collaboration has started the implementation of the first phase of a cubic-kilometre-scale neutrino telescope in the Northern hemisphere with an integrated platform for Earth and deep sea sciences. The location in the Mediterranean Sea will allow for surveying a large part of the sky, including most of the Galactic Plane and the Galactic Centre, thus complementing the sky coverage of IceCube at the South Pole. Amongst the potential Galactic neutrino sources, SuperNova Remnants are particularly promising since their measured gamma-ray emission extends to several 10 TeV and exhibits indications for hadronic processes. Assuming a hadronic origin of the gamma-ray emission, the models for neutrino emission from SuperNova Remnants and also from other source types such as pulsars are robustly constrained by gamma-ray measurements. We report expectated KM3NeT sensitivities for neutrino fluxes from RXJ1713.7-3946 and the Vela X.
        Speaker: Prof. Paul KOOIJMAN (U. of Amsterdam/Utrecht U./Nikhef)
        Slides
      • 15:00
        Detection of Extended Galactic Sources with an Underwater Neutrino Telescope 20m
        In this study we investigate the capability of a Very Large Volume Neutrino Telescope to discover extended Galactic sources. We focus to the brightest HESS gamma rays sources which are considered also as very high energy neutrino emitters. We use the un-binned method taking into account both the spatial and the energy distribution of high energy neutrinos and we investigate parts of the Galactic plane where multiple sources are treated as clusters. Source clusters and isolated sources are combined to estimate the observation period for 5 sigma discovery of neutrino signals from these objects.
        Speakers: Dr Antonios Tsirigotis (Hellenic Open University), Dr Dimitrios Lenis (INPP, NCSR Demokritos)
        Slides
    • 15:30 16:00
      Break 30m Main Entrance

      Main Entrance

      AlbaNova University Center

    • 16:00 18:00
      Calibration I. FB54

      FB54

      AlbaNova University Center

      • 16:00
        Underwater acoustic positioning system for the KM3NeT project 20m
        KM3NeT is a future km3-scale underwater neutrino telescope that will be installed in the Mediterranean Sea. The telescope will detect the Cherenkov light, induced by the secondary charged particles produced in the neutrino interactions, by means of an array of photomultiplier tubes installed in optical modules. The optical modules will be hosted on-board semi-rigid detection units (DUs), several hundreds meters high, anchored on the seabed. Their positions and movements will be determined through an acoustic positioning system (APS) composed of an auto-calibrating long-baseline (LBL) of acoustic transceivers, placed at the bottom of each DU, and an array of acoustic receivers, arranged along the DUs. An additional LBL of autonomous emitters will be deployed out of the detector field to help the positioning in the first stages of the detector installation. The use of the auto-calibrating LBL of transceivers will allow the acoustic measurement of distances between acoustic transceivers with an accuracy of few centimeters avoiding cost-effective measurements of distances through ROV. Known the sound velocity along the water column, the geometrical disposition of the DUs is obtained via geometrical triangulation, measuring the time of flight of the LBL signals to cover the transceiver-receiver distance. All transceivers and receivers will be driven by the detector master clock and the acoustic emission parameters (frequency, amplitude, trigger time, repetition rate) will be settable from shore. In this work, the R&D activities of the SMO and KM3NeT-Italia teams for the development of the APS for KM3NeT are presented.
        Speaker: Dr Salvatore Viola (INFN - LNS)
        Slides
      • 16:20
        Proposal of a new generation of Laser Beacon for Time Calibration in the KM3NeT Neutrino Telescope 20m
        The KM3NeT collaboration aims at the construction of a multi-km3 high-energy neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea consisting of a matrix of pressure resistant glass spheres holding a set (31) of small area photomultipliers. The main motivation of the telescope is to observe cosmic neutrinos through the Cerenkov light induced in sea water by charged particles produced in neutrino interactions with the surrounding medium. A relative time calibration between photomultipliers of the order of 1 ns is required to achieve an optimal performance. To this end, several time calibration subsystems have been developed. In this article, the proposal of a last generation Laser Beacon, intended to be used in KM3NeT and developed to measure and monitor the relative time offsets between photomultipliers, is presented
        Speaker: Mr Diego Real (IFIC)
        Slides
      • 16:40
        Nanobeacon: A low cost Time calibration instrument for the KM3NeT Neutrino Telescope 20m
        The KM3NeT collaboration aims at the construction of a multi-km3 high-energy neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea consisting of a matrix of pressure resistant glass spheres holding a set (31) of small area photomultipliers. ]The main goal of the telescope is to observe cosmic neutrinos through the Cerenkov light induced in sea water by charged particles produced in neutrino interactions with the surrounding medium. A relative time calibration between photomultipliers of the order of 1 ns is required to achieve an optimal performance. Due to the high volume to be covered by KM3NeT, a cost reduction of the different system is a priority in order to reduce the global price of the detector. To this end a very low price calibration device, the so called Nanobeacon, has been designed and developed. At the moment one of such devices has already been successfully integrated at the KM3NeT PPM DOM and eight of them in the KM3NeT tower. In this article this device is presented
        Speaker: Mr David Calvo (IFIC)
        Slides
      • 17:00
        break 15m
      • 17:15
        A technique for measuring the sea water optical parameters with a dedicated laser beam and a Multi-PMT Optical Module 20m
        The KM3 Neutrino Telescope (KM3NeT) will be a deep-sea multidisciplinary observatory in the Mediterranean Sea. The accurate knowledge of the optical properties of the sea water is very important for the performance evaluation of the telescope. In this work we describe a technique for the evaluation of the parameters describing the scattering characteristics of the sea water using one Multi-PMT Optical Module that detects scattered optical photons which are emitted from a laser. For each photomultiplier, we compare the number of the detected photons and their arrival time profile with expectations corresponding to certain values of the scattering parameters. This comparison can provide an accurate estimation of the optical scattering properties of the sea water. For this study the expectations (i.e. the number of photons observed in each photomultiplier and their time distribution) are estimated using the full photon tracking mode of the HOURS (Hellenic Open University Reconstruction & Simulation) software package.
        Speakers: Dr Antonios Papaikonomou (Hellenic Open University), Dr Apostolos Tsirigotis (Hellenic Open University)
        Slides
    • 16:00 18:00
      Physics, Reconstruction, and Software II. FB53

      FB53

      AlbaNova University Center

      • 16:00
        UHE neutrino and cosmic ray emission from GRBs: revising the models and clarifying the cosmic ray-neutrino connection 25m
        Gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) have long been held as one of the most promising sources of ultra-high energy (UHE) neutrinos. The internal shock model of GRB emission posits the joint production of UHE cosmic rays (UHECRs, above 10^8 GeV), photons, and neutrinos, through photohadronic interactions between source photons and magnetically-confined energetic protons, that occur when relativistically-expanding matter shells loaded with baryons collide with one another. While neutrino observations by IceCube have now ruled out the simplest version of the internal shock model, in this talk we will show that a revised calculation of the emission, together with the consideration of the full photohadronic cross section and other particle physics effects, results in a prediction of the prompt GRB neutrino flux that still lies one order of magnitude below the current upper bounds, as recently exemplified by the results from ANTARES. In addition, we will show that by allowing protons to directly escape their magnetic confinement without interacting at the source, we are able to partially decouple the cosmic ray and prompt neutrino emission, which grants the freedom to fit the UHECR observations while respecting the neutrino upper bounds. Finally, we will briefly present advances towards pinning down the precise relation between UHECRs and UHE neutrinos, including energy budget considerations, the required baryonic loading to fit UHECR observations, and the relationship to the local GRB rate, and we will assess the role that very large volume neutrino telescopes will play in this.
        Speaker: Mr Mauricio Bustamante (Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg)
        Slides
      • 16:25
        Search for Neutrinos from Gamma-Ray Bursts with ANTARES 20m
        ANTARES is the largest high-energy neutrino telescope on the Northern Hemisphere. Its main scientific purpose is the search for astrophysical muon neutrinos that are detected via their charged-current interaction in Earth and the subsequent Cherenkov emission of the secondary muon in the water of the Mediterranean Sea. Among the most promising candidate sources are gamma-ray bursts, as they are thought to accelerate not only electrons -- leading to the observed gamma rays -- but also protons, which would yield the emission of EeV neutrinos. Additionally, their short duration provides intrinsically low coincident background. A search for muon neutrinos from gamma-ray bursts using data of the ANTARES neutrino telescope is presented here. Employing an extended maximum likelihood ratio search, the analysis is optimized for a discovery of a neutrino signal as predicted by the numerical NeuCosmA model. No significant excess over background is found, thus 90% confident level upper limits on the neutrino flux from the analytically approximated Guetta model and from the numerical NeuCosmA model are derived.
        Speaker: Ms Julia Schmid (ECAP / University of Erlangen)
        Slides
      • 16:45
        Search for neutrino point sources with 2007-2012 ANTARES data 20m
        The ANTARES collaboration operates a neutrino telescope active in its complete configuration since 2008. Neutrinos have unique advantages to probe the Universe at high energies compared to photons or cosmic rays, since they are neutral, stable and weakly interacting. Among the goals of neutrino telescopes, the search for neutrino astrophysical sources is one of the most relevant. The list of potential neutrino sources include AGNs, GRBs, SNRs or micro-quasars. ANTARES being installed in the Northern hemisphere, the sensitivity for the Southern sky, including the Galactic Center and most of the Galactic Plane, is unsurpassed in the TeV-PeV range. We will present the results of a search for neutrino sources in the sky using data gathered between 2007 and 2012.
        Speaker: Dr Juan de Dios Zornoza (IFIC)
        Slides
      • 17:05
        Search for a small-scale anisotropy with 3 years of the IceCube detector 20m
        The IceCube Neutrino Observatory located at the geographic southpole was designed to study and discover high energy neutrinos coming from both, galactic and extragalactic astrophysical sources. Since its completion in 2010, the detector consists of 86 strings with 60 digital optical modules, each deployed in a depth of 1450 to 2450m in the antarctic ice, as well as a surface component called IceTop with additional 324 DOMs . The analyses that have been done with IceCube cover a wide range of physics aspects, such as atmospheric oscillation studies or the search for the origin of cosmic rays and others. A promising way to get insights into the cosmic ray production is the study of arrival directions, not only of cosmic rays, but also of neutrinos. Following up the more generic point source search, we have investigated deviations from isotropy using a 2pt-correlation function based on the same sample of events. We will present the status of this anisotropy study for neutrinos and discuss on implications and possible constraints.
        Speaker: Anna Bernhard (TU München)
        Slides
      • 17:25
        Multimessenger searches with the ANTARES high energy neutrino telescope 20m
        The ANTARES Collaboration is now operating the largest water Cherenkov neutrino telescope in the world. The apparatus, consisting of 12 detection lines and a multidisciplinary instrumentation line installed at a depth of about 2500m in the Mediterranean Sea offshore from France, has been completed in May 2008. The main scientific goal of ANTARES is the search for high energy neutrinos coming from astrophysical sources, mainly compact sources. Some of these cosmic source candidates are expected to emit optical, gamma-ray, cosmic rays and/or gravitational wave signals. In this context, multi-messenger programs have been developed in ANTARES, in connection with other experiments, among which externally triggered neutrino-searches (e.g. for AGN flares), neutrino-triggered optical follow-up activities (TAToO), the search for neutrinos in coincidence with gravitational wave bursts detected by LIGO/Virgo (GW+HEN) or searches for neutrino counterparts of high energy gamma-ray signals (e.g. the so called FERMI bubbles). This talk will focus on the multi-messenger strategies conceived in the Collaboration and present the latest associated results.
        Speaker: Bruny Baret Baret (CNRS)
        Slides
    • 19:00 21:00
      Reception at City Hall 2h Stadshuset (Stadshuset)

      Stadshuset

      Stadshuset

    • 09:00 10:30
      Calibration II. FB54

      FB54

      AlbaNova University Center

      • 09:00
        Light Propagation in the South Pole Ice 30m
        The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is located in the ice near the geographic South Pole. Particle showers from neutrino interactions in the ice produce light which are detected by IceCube modules, and the amount and pattern of deposited light are used to reconstruct the properties of the incident neutrino. Since light is scattered and absorbed by ice between the neutrino interaction vertex and the sensor, understanding the propagation of light through the ice is key to IceCube science. This talk will discuss the current status of modeling light propagation in South Pole ice, including the recent observation of anisotropy in the scattering, and the impact of the ice model in the reconstruction of high-energy neutrinos observed by IceCube.
        Speaker: Prof. Dawn Williams (University of Alabama)
        Slides
      • 09:30
        Results from the IceCube video camera system at 2455 meters ice depth 30m
        IceCube is a cubic kilometer scale neutrino telescope at the South Pole, Antarctica. It consists 5160 light sensors deployed in 86 holes between 1450 meters and 2450 meters depth in the transparent ice. The holes have been drilled with a hot water technique, creating water filled holes with a diameter of 60 cm in which the light sensors were deployed before the water froze again. In order to investigate the optical properties of the newly frozen ice in the holes, an optical recording system consisting of two movable video cameras instrumented with lasers and lamps was deployed in the final IceCube hole on the 18th of December 2010 at a depth of 2455 meters. Video was recorded as the system descended during deployment and during the freezing of the hole. We will present the observations made by the camera system and discuss what has been learned for future drilling.
        Speaker: Prof. Per Olof Hulth (Stockholm University)
        Slides
      • 10:00
        Calibration study for PINGU 30m
        PINGU, the Precision IceCube Next Generation Upgrade, aims at lowering the neutrino detection threshold of the IceCube neutrino telescope to a few GeV by adding new in-fill strings to the existing IceCube/DeepCore array. The main goal of the upgrade is to render the detector sensitive to the neutrino mass hierarchy utilizing atmospheric neutrinos. Precision reconstruction of neutrino direction and energy, which is a prerequisite for the determination of the mass hierarchy, requires accurate in-situ calibration and monitoring of the PINGU digital optical modules and high-level control of systematic effects like those caused by uncertaintiesin the optical ice properties and DOM sensitivity in ice. The talk presents the current status of calibration studies for PINGU.
        Speaker: Dr Rezo Shanidze (DESY, Platanenallee 6 15738 Zeuthen)
        Slides
    • 09:00 10:30
      Mechanics, Deployment, and Infrastructure FB53

      FB53

      AlbaNova University Center

      • 09:00
        Developments in Fiber Optic Hydralight Wetmate Technology 20m
        I will be speaking about current developments in fiber optic hydralight wetmate technology which now also incorporates electrical wetmate technologies using only 1 wetmate connector becoming a hybrid Hybralight wetmate connector. I will give an in depth presentation of how the connector works with clear internal visuals. Will go through a brief history of developments that lead to the current Technologies now available. Will focus on features that give a much better back reflection value. Will discuss field track records and MTBF datas. Will discuss applications where technology is commonly found.
        Speaker: Sergio Mendez (SeaCon)
      • 09:20
        The photonics based KM3NeT readout and data transmission system 20m
        During the first phase of implementation of the KM3NeT Research Infrastructure, the installation sites will be furnished with a seafloor and shore infrastructure for connection of the KM3NeT detection units with custom designed Digital Optical Modules (DOMs) for detection of the Cherenkov light of the charged particles created in neutrino-induced collisions in and in the vicinity of the neutrino detectors. The design of the KM3NeT readout and data transmission system is based on 1.25 Gbs photonics technologies using lasers and DWDMs (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexers). The architecture can handle common standard transmission protocols. We will present the design and implementation choices for the technologies employed in the current realization of the infrastructures at the KM3NeT-Fr and KM3NeT-It installation sites.
        Speaker: Gerard Kieft (Nikhef)
        Slides
      • 09:40
        Power network in large area detector networks 20m
        With the first phase of the implementation of the KM3NeT Research Infrastructure in the Mediterranean Sea, several design and technical choices have been made for the realization of the power network at the installation sites. Considerations for these choices - which are valid for large area detector networks in general - include the arguments for AC or DC, the behaviour of the power network at constant power load, the implementation of several voltage level conversions and grounding issues. We will present the design and implementation choices of the power networks currently realized for the large area KM3NeT-Fr and KM3NeT-It installation sites.
        Speaker: Mr Eric Heine (Nikhef)
        Slides
      • 10:00
        The Mechanics of the KM3NeT string. 20m
        In this paper we present the measurements of two different Dyneema ropes being considered for the suspension of the optical modules in KM3NeT. Detailed tests under load both in the lab and in the deep sea will be covered as will the details of the design of the connection between ropes and optical module
        Speaker: Prof. Paul Kooijman (Univ.of Amsterdam/Utrecht University/Nikhef)
    • 10:30 11:00
      Break 30m Main Entrance

      Main Entrance

      AlbaNova University Center

    • 11:00 12:30
      Photodetection and Readout II. FB54

      FB54

      AlbaNova University Center

      • 11:00
        Characterization of the 80mm diameter Hamamatsu PMTs for KM3NeT 20m
        200 PMTs of type R12199-02 have been delivered from Hamamatsu and tested by 3 groups in the frame of the KM3NeT collaboration: Nikhef Amsterdam, INFN Catania and ECAP Erlangen. Tests have been performed to characterize all main PMT parameters to verify whether they comply with the KM3NeT specifications. To this aim, gain, transit time spread (TTS), dark count rate, fraction of delayed pulses and after pulses and quantum efficieny have been measured. These PMTs have been also scanned to determine an effective photocathode size. Test results are presented in this talk.
        Speaker: Emanuele Leonora (INFN-section of Catania)
        Slides
      • 11:20
        Characterization of the KM3NeT photomultipliers in the Hellenic Open University 20m
        The KM3 Neutrino Telescope (KM3NeT) will be a deep-sea multidisciplinary observatory in the Mediterranean Sea. The Physics Laboratory of the Hellenic Open University is involved in the characterization of KM3NeT components. The present work describes measurement techniques for the functional characteristics of the candidate KM3NeT photomultipliers. These characteristics include dark current, transit time spread, gain slope and single photoelectron characteristics, as well as delayed and after pulses.
        Speaker: Dr George Bourlis (Hellenic Open University)
        Slides
      • 11:40
        Characterization of the ETEL and HZC 3+ inch PMTs 15m
        The companies ET Enterprises Ltd (ETEL, UK) and HZC (China) have developed new types of 3+ inch photomultiplier tubes (PMTs), which are considered to be used in multi-PMT optical modules in the KM3NeT neutrino telescope. PMTs of types D783KFLA, D793KFLA, D792KFLA (ETEL) and XP52 (HZC) have been tested by the KM3NeT collaboration. The measurement methods and results are presented.
        Speaker: Dr Oleg Kalekin (ECAP / University of Erlangen)
        Slides
      • 11:55
        Noise and spurious pulses for Cherenkov light detection with 10 inch and 3 inch photomultipliers. 15m
        A great number of large area photomultipliers are widely used in neutrino and astroparticle detector to measure Cherenkov light in medium like water or ice. The key element of these detectors are the so-called “optical module”, which consist in photodetectors closed in a transparent pressure-resistant glass sphere to protect it and ensure good light transmission. The noise pulses present on the anode of each photomultiplier affect strongly the performance of the detector so a large study was conducted on noise pulses of photomultipliers by HAMAMATSU of 10 inch (used in NEMO Phase-2) and 3 inch diameter (multiPMT OM), considering time and charge distributions of dark pulses, pre-pulses, delayed pulses, and after pulses. In particular an analysis on multiple after pulses was done on both models of photomultipliers. In order to study these events, the digital oscilloscope was used to acquire all the pulses after the main pulse for 16 microseconds. Hence an off-line analysis follows the acquisition in order to obtain charge and time spectra and a correlation between the arrival times and the charge of each after pulse.
        Speaker: Dr Valentina Giordano (INFN - Catania)
        Slides
      • 12:10
        Noise pulses on photomultipliers coupled to glass vessel 20m
        The detection element of many deep-sea Cherenkov detectors is the so-called "optical module", which consists of a pressure resistant glass sphere with photomultipliers which are optically coupled to the glass with optical gel. Earlier studies indicated that source of noise for the optical module is not only the photomultiplier itself but light could come from the glass of the pressure vessel directly facing the photocathode of the pmt, produced by scintillation excited by energy deposited through radioactive decays in the glass material itself or by Cherenkov effect in the glass. The main element in the glass composition that causes light production is Potassium 40, followed also by natural decay chains (Uranium, Thorium), Cerium, Iron and other lanthanides. A study has been conducted to quantify the contribution to noise pulses due to the external glass sphere comparing rate and charge distribution of dark pulses and after pulses measured on PMTs in two different configurations, naked and coupled into a glass half-spheres by means of optical gel. Measurements have been performed using 10-inch R7081 Hamamatsu PMTs, used in optical modules with a single large area photomultipliers, and 3-inch R12199-02 Hamamatsu PMTs, which will be used for multi-PMT optical modules. Different glass pressure-resistant vessels have also been tested. Main results obtained so far show clearly as in a system composed of a PMT coupled with a glass vessel the light generated internally in the glass influences the rate and the charge distribution of the PMT noise pulses.
        Speaker: Emanuele Leonora (INFN-section of Catania)
        Slides
    • 11:00 12:30
      Physics, Reconstruction, and Software III. FB53

      FB53

      AlbaNova University Center

      • 11:00
        Extending IceCube-DeepCore to Low Energies for a Dark Matter Search toward the Galactic Center 25m
        The cubic-kilometer sized IceCube neutrino observatory, constructed in the glacial ice at the South Pole, offers new opportunities for neutrino physics to reach lower neutrino energies with its in-fill array “DeepCore”. A set of analysis techniques where the outer layers of IceCube are used as a veto makes it possible to reject atmospheric muons and thereby allows low-energy neutrino searches to be performed above the horizon. With these techniques the Galactic Center, an important target in searches for self- annihilating dark matter, becomes reachable for IceCube. In this contribution we present the status of the Galactic Center dark matter analysis, using more than 10 months of data taken with the 79- string configuration of IceCube-DeepCore, as well as the new veto techniques used in the analysis.
        Speaker: Mr Samuel Flis (Stockholms Universitet)
        Slides
      • 11:25
        Detection Prospects for GeV Neutrinos from Collisionally Heated Gamma-ray Bursts with IceCube/DeepCore 25m
        Jet reheating via nuclear collisions has recently been proposed as the main mechanism for gamma-ray burst (GRB) emission. In addition to producing the observed gamma rays, collisional heating must generate 10–100 GeV neutrinos, implying a close relation between the neutrino and gamma-ray luminosities. We exploit this theoretical relation to make predictions for possible GRB detections by IceCube+DeepCore. To estimate the expected neutrino signal, we use the largest sample of bursts observed by the Burst and Transient Source Experiment in 1991–2000. GRB neutrinos could have been detected if IceCube+DeepCore operated at that time. Detection of 10–100 GeV neutrinos would have significant implications, shedding light on the composition of GRB jets and their Lorentz factors. This could be an important target in designing future upgrades of the IceCube+DeepCore observatory.
        Speaker: Dr Imre Bartos (Columbia University)
        Slides
      • 11:50
        The sensitivity to neutrino mass hierarchy with PINGU 20m
        The determination of the neutrino mass hierarchy is among the most fundamental questions in particle physics. The recent measurement of a large mixing angle between the first and the third neutrino mass eigenstate and the first observation of atmospheric neutrino oscillations at tens of GeV with neutrino telescopes opens the intriguing new possibility to exploit matter effects in neutrino oscillations for its determination. A further extension of IceCube/DeepCore called PINGU (Precision IceCube Next Generation Upgrade) has been recently envisioned with the ultimate goal to measure this mass hierarchy. PINGU would consist of additional IceCube-like strings of optical sensors deployed in the deepest clearest ice in the center of IceCube. More densely deployed instrumentation would provide a threshold substantially below $10$ GeV and enhance the sensitivity to the mass hierarchy signal in atmospheric neutrinos. We discuss the estimate of the PINGU sensitivity to the mass hierarchy.
        Speaker: Andreas Gross (TUM)
        Slides
    • 12:30 14:00
      Lunch 1h 30m down the street

      down the street

      AlbaNova University Center

    • 14:00 15:15
      New Horizons
      • 14:00
        Vetoing Atmospheric Muons (and Neutrinos) 30m FB53

        FB53

        AlbaNova University Center

        Speaker: Dr Claudio Kopper (University of Wisconsin--Madison)
        Slides
    • 15:30 16:00
      Break 30m Main Entrance

      Main Entrance

      AlbaNova University Center

    • 16:00 18:00
      Computing and Data FB54

      FB54

      AlbaNova University Center

      • 16:00
        The Data Acquisition System of the IceCube Neutrino Observatory 25m
        The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a cubic kilometer-scale neutrino detector and air shower array at the geographic South Pole. The online computing system for IceCube comprises subsystems for data acquisition (DAQ), online filtering, supernova detection, and experiment control and monitoring. We present the DAQ software and describe the process of forming events from the stream of individual triggered waveforms or "hits" from the digital optical modules (DOMs). Various trigger algorithms are used in the DAQ to select cosmic-ray and neutrino events from the background of random noise in the DOMs. Additionally, we describe recently implemented and proposed algorithmic changes to the DAQ system to alleviate bottlenecks, as well as a new data buffering feature that expands the possibilities for sub-threshold analysis.
        Speaker: John Kelley (Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison)
        Slides
      • 16:25
        The Trigger and Data Acquisition for the NEMO-Phase 2 Tower 25m
        In phase 2 of the NEMO neutrino telescope project a tower holding 32 optical modules is operated since march 2013. A new, scalable Trigger and Data Acquisition System (TriDAS) has been developed and extensively tested with the data from this tower. Adopting the "all data to shore" approach, the NEMO TriDAS is optimized to deal with a continuous data-stream from off-shore to on- shore with a large bandwidth. The TriDAS consists of four computing layers: (i) data aggregation of isochronal hits from all optical modules; (ii) data filtering by means of concurrent trigger algorithms; (iii) composition of the filtered events into post-trigger files; (iv) persistent data storage. The TriDAS implementation is reported together with a review of dedicated on-line monitoring tools and networking architecture.
        Speaker: Dr Francesco Simeone (University "Sapienza" and INFN Rome)
        Slides
      • 16:50
        The IceCube data acquisition system for galactic core collapse supernova searches 20m
        The IceCube Neutrino Observatory was mainly designed to detect highly energetic neutrinos with its lattice of 5160 photomultiplier tubes monitoring 1 cubic kilometer of clear Antarctic ice. Due to low photomultiplier dark noise rates in the cold and inert ice, IceCube is also able to detect several-second-long bursts of O(10 MeV) neutrinos expected to be emitted from galactic core collapse supernovae. Observing a collective rise in all photomultiplier rates, IceCube would provide the world’s highest statistical precision for nearby supernovae. In this talk, I will present the supernova data acquisition system, the search algorithms for galactic supernovae, the IceCube escalation scheme following a serious alert, the role of IceCube as a member of the supernova early warning system SNEWS, as well as the recently implemented HitSpooling DAQ extension. HitSpooling will overcome the current limitation of transmitting photomultiplier rates in intervals of 1.6384 ms by storing all recorded time-stamped hits for supernova candidate triggers. From the corresponding event-based information, the average neutrino energy can be estimated and the background induced by detector noise and atmospheric muons can be reduced.
        Speaker: Mr Volker Baum (Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz)
        Slides
      • 17:10
        Trigger Study for NEMO Phase 2 20m
        We studied a new trigger for NEMO Phase 2 tower based on hit time difference distribution. Such a trigger uses only a fixed number of PMT signals in a time windows less than a maximum value. The background rate is drastically reduced requiring hits from different PMT and a 75% trigger efficiency was estimated by a Monte Carlo simulation. The trigger rate was also measured on raw data. The results from the Monte Carlo simulation and raw data are shown.
        Speaker: Mr Bachir Bouhadef (INFN Pisa)
        Slides
      • 17:30
        The relational database system of KM3NeT 20m
        The choice of using a relational database in the KM3NeT Collaboration has been natural after the experience in the ANTARES experiment, but with a broader horizon. The core of the system is a RAC installation hosted at the computing centre of IN2P3 in Lyon, but a geographically distributed DB network is foreseen. The DB is used for Collaboration management, detector construction and bookkeeping of operational data; performance benchmarks show that mass data hosting in relational DB’s is in principle also possible. DB access is provided by an Application Web server that not only provides a GUI interface, but also channels HTTP requests to SQL and retrieves/inserts data in optimized way, potentially establishing a bridge towards Cloud/Grid computing models.
        Speakers: Dr Cristiano Bozza (University of Salerno / INFN Gruppo Collegato di Salerno), Prof. Uli Katz (ECAP / Univ. Erlangen)
        Slides
    • 16:00 18:00
      Deep Sea and Deep Ice Technology FB53

      FB53

      AlbaNova University Center

      • 16:00
        About the prototype of the KM3NeT DOM: First results 20m
        The future KM3NeT neutrino telescope will consist of several thousand digital optical modules (DOM), each of which will be equipped with 31 3-inch photo-multiplier tubes. This design has various advantages, e.g. concerning effective photocathode area per module, background suppression and also directional reconstruction. Currently, KM3NeT is testing a prototype DOM deployed on the instrumentation line of the ANTARES neutrino telescope. The DOM is operational since mid-April and data taking is in progress. First data are presented and compared to simulation results. The results are very encouraging and indicate that muon identification and also a coarse direction estimation are possible with a singular DOM.
        Speaker: Mr Tino Michael (Nikhef)
        Slides
      • 16:20
        Design Engineering for PINGU DOMs 20m
        The Precision IceCube Next Generation Upgrade (PINGU) will require optical sensors with performance similar to IceCube’s DOMs but implemented in a higher-density array. We are pursuing a new design for the "PDOM" that retains the proven mechanical elements of the IceCube DOM yet takes advantage of recently commercialized high-speed digitizer technology. The main features of the proposed PDOM electronics will be discussed, along with status and plans for development. Proposed modifications to the IceCube string architecture that will accommodate the smaller vertical PDOM spacing will be presented. General requirements and baseline plans for cable systems and surface electronics will also be discussed.
        Speaker: Perry Sandstrom (IceCube/WIPAC)
        Slides
      • 16:40
        Development of the multi-PMT optical module for PINGU 20m
        The IceCube large-volume neutrino telescope aims at the exploration of sources in the TeV energy range. A dense infill array, Deep Core, provides sensitivity to neutrinos of lower energy, down to about 20 GeV. One goal of the PINGU project is to add even denser instrumentation in the Deep Core subvolume and to further decrease the energy threshold of the instrument to a few GeV. As an R&D activity targeted at potential future extensions, a new type of optical modules will be tested in the PINGU framework. The multi-PMT DOM contains 41 three-inch PMTs in a cylindrical glass vessel. The design is based on the KM3NeT DOM. Among other advantages, this approach offers a significant increase of photocathode area per module and also per string length. The current status of the development and the prototype construction will be presented.
        Speaker: Mr Lew Classen (ECAP, University of Erlangen)
        Slides
      • 17:00
        Opto-Acoustical Modules for KM3NeT 20m
        Accurate acoustic position calibration of the optical modules is a necessary prerequisite for neutrino telescope data analysis. For KM3NeT, the integration of the corresponding acoustic sensors into the optical modules is investigated. The combination of both sensor types inside one module reduces the complexity of the mechanical structures and interfaces to a minimum, leading to an increase in reliability and operational stability. The design of such opto-acoustical modules will be discussed and first data recorded with prototypes installed in the ANTARES and NEMO detectors presented. Finally, an outlook to a possible application for acoustic neutrino detection studies will be given.
        Speaker: Mr Alexander Enzenhöfer (ECAP, University of Erlangen)
        Slides
      • 17:20
        PORFIDO: Oceanographic measurements on neutrino telescopes 20m
        We have designed and built an underwater measurement system, PORFIDO (Physical Oceanography by RFID Outreach) to gather oceanographic data from the Optical Modules of a neutrino telescope with a minimum of disturbance to the main installation. PORFIDO is composed of a sensor glued to the outside of an Optical Module, in contact with seawater, and of a reader placed inside the sphere, facing the sensor. Data are transmitted to the reader through the glass by RFID and to shore in real time for periods of years. The sensor gathers power from the radio frequency, thus eliminating the need for batteries or connectors through the glass. We have deployed four PORFIDO probes measuring temperatures with the NEMO Phase 2 tower in april 2013. The four probes are operative and are transmitting temperature data from 3500 m depth.
        Speaker: Dr Agnese Martini (INFN - LNF)
        Slides
    • 19:00 23:00
      Dinner at Vasa 4h
    • 09:30 11:00
      Oscillations Oskar Klein Auditorium

      Oskar Klein Auditorium

      AlbaNova University Center

      • 09:30
        The neutrino mass hierarchy measurement with a neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean Sea: A feasibility study 35m
        With the measurement of a non zero value of the theta_13 neutrino mixing parameter, interest in neutrinos as source of the baryon asymmetry of the universe has increased. Among the measurements of a rich and varied program in near future neutrino physics is the determination of the mass hierarchy. We present the status of a study into the feasibility of using a densely instrumented undersea neutrino detector to determine the mass hierarchy, utilizing the MSW effect on atmospheric neutrino oscillations. The detector will use technology developed for KM3NeT. We present the systematic studies into optimization of a detector in the required 5-10 GeV energy regime. These studies include new tracking and interaction identification algorithms as well as geometrical optimizations of the detector.
        Speaker: Dr Apostolos Tsirigotis (Hellenic Open University)
        Slides
      • 10:05
        Neutrino Oscillations with IceCube DeepCore and PINGU 35m
        Speaker: Tyce DeYoung (Penn State University)
        Slides
    • 11:00 11:30
      Break 30m
    • 11:30 13:00
      Neutrino Telescopes and Atmospheric Neutrinos Oskar Klein Auditorium

      Oskar Klein Auditorium

      AlbaNova University Center

      • 11:30
        News from KM3NeT 35m
        KM3NeT is a future research infrastructure in the Mediterranean Sea hosting a multi-cubic-kilometre neutrino telescope and nodes for earth and sea sciences. The first construction phase will start in 2014 and is currently in preparation. The presentation will sketch the physics case for KM3NeT, present its current technical status and discuss on-gonig test and prototype activities as well as the path towards phase-1 construction.
        Speaker: Prof. Uli Katz (ECAP / Univ. Erlangen)
        Slides
      • 12:10
        Neutrinos from charm production in the atmosphere 35m
        Speaker: Prof. Rikard Enberg (Uppsala University)
        Slides
    • 13:00 14:30
      Lunch 1h 30m down the street

      down the street

      AlbaNova University Center