Neutrinos

IceCube Neutrino Observatory is an astrophysics project located at the geographic South Pole. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is the first detector of its kind, designed to observe the cosmos from deep within the South Pole ice. The IceCube Collaboration is an international group of scientists responsible for scientific research. Encompassing a cubic kilometer of ice, IceCube searches for nearly massless subatomic particles called neutrinos. These high-energy astronomical messengers provide information to probe the most violent astrophysical sources, such as exploding stars, gamma-ray bursts, and cataclysmic phenomena involving black holes and neutron stars. The Antarctic Neutrino Observatory, including the surface array IceTop and the dense infill array DeepCore, was designed as a multipurpose experiment. IceCube collaborators address several big questions in physics, like the nature of dark matter and the properties of the neutrino itself. IceCube also observes cosmic rays that interact with the Earth’s atmosphere, which have revealed fascinating structures that are not presently understood. The IceCube Collaboration comprises approximately 350 physicists from 58 institutions in 14 countries. The international team is responsible for the scientific program, and many collaborators contributed to the design and construction of the detector. Exciting new research conducted by the collaboration is opening a new window for exploring our universe. The National Science Foundation (NSF) provided the primary funding for the IceCube Neutrino Observatory, with assistance from partner funding agencies around the world. The University of Wisconsin–Madison is the lead institution responsible for maintaining and operating the detector. Funding Agencies in each collaborating country support their scientific research efforts.

Feb 1, 2025