Orateur
Dr
Jens Berdermann
(DESY)
Description
The South Pole Acoustic Test Setup (SPATS) consists of four strings, which
are deployed in the upper 500 m of IceCube holes. Each string is instrumented
with seven acoustic sensors and transmitters to study attenuation length,
noise level, sound speed and transient acoustic events in the ice within the
10 to 100 kHz frequency range. Data taking and investigation of transient events
started end of August 2008 and continues until now.
Applying an algorithm based on the solution of a GPS like equation system
on the data, allows to reconstruct the source of acoustic signals in the
antarctic ice with high precision. Thus, acoustic signals from re-freezing IceCube
holes during the IceCube construction phases 11/08-02/09 and 11/09-02/10 are
identified. These data allow us to verify functionality and sensitivity of the acoustic
test detector and to investigate the background of possible high energetic neutrino
signals in the ice.
Until now all detected acoustic events are associated with sources, where a clear
connection to human activities at the South Pole is given. The investigation of the
transient noise is used in simulation studies in the SPATS sensitive area outside
IceCube. An effective volume is calculated from which a neutrino flux limit in reach
for the SPATS is derived.
Auteur principal
Dr
Jens Berdermann
(DESY)
Co-auteur
Dr
Rolf Nahnhauer
(DESY)
