A Radio Air-Shower Test Array (RASTA) for IceCube

Abstract

In this paper we explore the possibility to complement the cosmic ray physics program of the IceCube observatory with an extended surface array of radio antennas. The combination of air-shower sampling on the surface and muon calorimetry underground offers significant scientifc potential: the neutrino sensitivity above the horizon can be enhanced by vetoing air-showers on the ground, photon-induced air-showers can be identifed by their small muon component and the coincident measurement of the particle density on the surface and the muon component gives useful information on the composition of the primary flux. All of these analyses are pursued with the existing IceTop array. However, the IceTop footprint is small compared to the acceptance of the InIce sensor array, which severely limits the solid angle for coincident measurements, calling for an extended surface air-shower detector. As demonstrated by the LOPES experiment, measuring air-showers through their geosynchrotron emission has become a viable and cost-efficient method. The science case for the RASTA project - a dedicated radio array seeking to exploit this method at the South Pole - is presented.

References in corpus (7)

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• Upper limit on the cosmic-ray photon fraction at EeV energies from the Pierre Auger Observatory
• The Lateral Distribution Function of Coherent Radio Emission from Extensive Air Showers; Determining the Chemical Composition of Cosmic Rays
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Cited by in corpus (6)

• Radio detection of Cosmic-Ray Air Showers and High-Energy Neutrinos
• Radio detection of cosmic ray air showers in the digital era
• Search for PeVatrons at the Galactic Center using a radio air-shower array at the South Pole
• PeV Gamma Rays from Interactions of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays in the Milky Way
• Macroscopic Model of Geomagnetic-Radiation from Air Showers, II
• Cosmic Ray RF detection with the ASTRONEU array