The KM3NeT Project: A km 3 -scale Mediterranean Neutrino Telescope Oleg Kalekin For the KM3NeT Consortium Locating PeV Cosmic-Ray Accelerators Adelaide,

The KM3NeT Project: A km3 -scale Mediterranean Neutrino

Telescope

Oleg Kalekin

For the KM3NeT Consortium

Locating PeV Cosmic-Ray Accelerators Adelaide, 6-8 Dec 2006

Oleg Kalekin University Erlangen

8 Dec 2006 PeV Cosmic-Ray Accelerators, Adelaide

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Astro- & particle physics with telescopes

Role of the Earth: Screening against all particles

except neutrinos. Atmosphere = target for production

of secondary neutrinos.

Cherenkov light: In water: θC ≈ 43° Spectral range used: ~ 350-500nm.

Neutrino reactions (key reaction is N→ X): Cross sections and reaction mechanisms known from

acceleratorexperiments

Extrapolation to highest energies (> 100 TeV) uncertain.



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Astro- & particle physics with telescopes

Low-energy limit:

• short muon range

• small number ofphotons detected

• background lightfrom K40 decays

High-energy limit:• neutrino flux

decreases like E–n (n ≈ 2)

• large detectionvolume needed.



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Sources of and

CR interactions with protons (photons)

pp(p) , o , …

ee

o

hadron decays are producing fluxes of

high energy and

(E

)

Parameterization of energy spectra of secondary particlesKelner, Aharonian, Bugayov: Phys Review D 74, 034018 (2008)

(Ep)

(E)



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Sources for NeT

Catalog of H.E.S.S. sources: www.mpi-hd.mpg.de/hfm/HESS/ > 30 sources of VHE Rays

All sources are considered as potential CR accelerators



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Sources for NeT

Example: neutrino spectra for 2 sources: RX J1713.7-3946 and Vela X

A.Kappes et al., astro-ph/0607286

KM3NeT

km3 detector, a few years of operation



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The Neutrino Telescope World Map

ANTARES + NEMO + NESTORjoin their efforts to prepare

a km3-scale neutrino telescope in the Mediterranean

KM3NeT Design Study



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The KM3NeT Design Study

• Negotiations are successfully concluded with a contract between the EC and the KM3NeT consortium

• The EU funds the three-year KM3NeT Design Study with 9 million €

• Total volume ~20 million €, ~370 person-years

• Start date: February 1, 2006• Major objectives:

• Conceptual Design Report by End 2007• Technical Design Report by February 2009



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The KM3NeT Vision

KM3NeT will be a multidisciplinary research infrastructure:- Data will be publicly available- Implementation of specific online filter algorithms will

yield particular sensitivity in predefined directions non-KM3NeT members can apply for observation time

- Data will be buffered to respond to GRB alerts etc- Deep-sea access for marine sciences.

KM3NeT is a European project- 9 European countries involved in Design Study- Substantial funding already now from national agencies- Later will be open for others



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KM3NeT Design Study: Participants

• Cyprus: Univ. Cyprus• France: CEA/Saclay, CNRS/IN2P3 (CPP Marseille, IreS Strasbourg,

APC Paris-7), Univ. Mulhouse/GRPHE, IFREMER• Germany: Univ. Erlangen, Univ. Kiel• Greece: HCMR, Hellenic Open Univ., NCSR Demokritos,

NOA/Nestor, Univ. Athens• Italy: CNR/ISMAR, INFN (Univs. Bari, Bologna, Catania,

Genova, Napoli, Pisa, Roma-1, LNS Catania, LNF Frascati), INGV, Tecnomare SpA

• Ireland: DIAS (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies)• Netherlands: NIKHEF/FOM (incl. Univ. Amsterdam, Univ.

Utrecht, KVI Groningen)• Spain: IFIC/CSIC Valencia, Univ. Valencia, UP Valencia• UK: Univ. Aberdeen, Univ. Leeds, Univ. Liverpool, Univ. Sheffield

Particle/Astroparticle institutes (30) – Sea science/technology institutes (7) – Coordinator



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Objectives and Scope of the Design Study

Time schedule (partly speculative & optimistic):

01.02.2006 Start of Design StudyApril 2006 Kick-off MeetingEnd 2007 Conceptual Design ReportFebruary 2009 Technical Design Report2009-2010 Preparation Phase (possibly in

FP7)2010-2012 Construction 2011-20xx Data taking



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ANTARES: Detector Design

• String-based detector;• Underwater connections

by deep-sea submersible;• Downward-looking PMs,

axis at 45O to vertical;• 2500 m deep.



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NESTOR: Rigid Structures Forming TowersNESTOR: Rigid Structures Forming Towers

• Tower based detector(titanium structures).

• Dry connections(recover−connect−redeploy).

• Up- and downward looking PMs.• 3800 m deep.• First floor (reduced size)

deployed & operated in 2003.



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The NEMO Project

• Extensive site exploration(Capo Passero near Catania, depth 3340 m);

• R&D towards km3: architecture, mechanical structures, readout, electronics, cables ...;

• Simulation.Example: Flexible tower

16 arms per tower, 20 m arm length,arms 40 m apart;

64 PMs per tower;

Underwater connections;

Up- and downward-looking PMs



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Photo detectors optimisation

Price / photocathode area



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Layout optimisation

Performance above a few TeV can be increased by increasing

the instrumented volume,

BUT at the cost of low energy efficiency

S.KuchAstro-ph/0606507



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Conclusions and Outlook

• The Mediterranean-Sea neutrino telescope groups NESTOR, ANTARES and NEMO comprise the leading expertise in this field. They have united their efforts to prepare together the future, km3-scale deep-sea detector.

• An EU-funded Design Study (KM3NeT) provides substantial resources for an intense 3-year R&D phase started on February 1, 2006. Technical Design Report by Feb. 2009.

• Target dates: to start construction 2010 and data taking 2011

Documents

The KM3NeT Project: A km 3 -scale Mediterranean Neutrino Telescope Oleg Kalekin For the KM3NeT Consortium Locating PeV Cosmic-Ray Accelerators Adelaide,