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Updated: 2022-09-29
Our knowledge about the World is still very limited, despite a
long era of research in many fields. The theory of elementary
constituents of the Universe - the Standard Model of elementary
particles, despite its mathematical beauty and very precise
description of a huge variety of phenomena, still fails to
describe the mysteries of Dark Matter, Dark Energy and many
others. Astrophysics keeps trying to examine the nature of the
sources of very-high energy cosmic rays. Seeking answers to
fundamental questions is possible in many ways: by observing the
sky through more and more sophisticated telescopes, by performing
experiments at particle accelerators, but also - by exploiting the
gifts of Nature and instrumenting them with particle detectors.
Neutrino telescopes are experimental systems placed deep in
transparent natural media in various geographical areas of the
Earth. They are aimed at investigating a wide spectrum of
scientific problems and primarily the natural neutrino fluxes. The
deep underwater detection method provides a basis for experiments
to record high- and possibly ultra-high-energy astrophysical
neutrinos with neutrino telescopes. The detection principle is
based on recording Cherenkov radiation from secondary muons or
high-energy showers produced by the interaction of neutrinos with
matter in transparent natural media.
The Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment (P-ONE) is currently under construction in the North-East Pacific, next to Canada shores. It is aimed primarily at studying astrophysical neutrino fluxes, will utilize the water of the Pacific Ocean, instrumented at depth with Optical Modules that detect the Cherenkov radiation from secondary particles produced in interactions of high-energy neutrinos inside or near the instrumented volume. The optical sensors will be organized in so-called clusters. By design, the P-ONE telescope is searching for neutrinos going upwards (traversing the Earth and interacting with the bedrock of the Ocean or its water) with energies between 100 TeV and 10 PeV. The Experiment is currently in the construction phase, two pathfinder lines are in operation since 2018 and the first regular measurement line will be deployed in 2024.
The aim of the research conducted by P-ONE is the search for very-high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin. Measurement of their diffuse flux' characteristics will allow to confirm the findings of the IceCube experiment in the Antarctic. Moreover, P-ONE will search for sources of such neutrinos. Thanks to its location in the Northern Hemisphere, P-ONE is observing the southern sky, including the Galactic Centre, where such sources may be located.
The work in the INP are a continuation of the previous experience
In the Baikal-GVD collaboration. The main directions of research
include:
• construction of laser calibration system,
• development of simulation software (fast simulation of photon
propagation through water),
• analyses of first data from the pathfinder lines