Modeling in-ice radio propagation with parabolic equation methods

Abstract

We investigate the use of parabolic equation (PE) methods for solving radio-wave propagation in polar ice. PE methods provide an approximate solution to Maxwell's equations, in contrast to full-field solutions such as finite-difference-time-domain (FDTD) methods, yet provide a more complete model of propagation than simple geometric ray-tracing (RT) methods that are the current state of the art for simulating in-ice radio detection of neutrino-induced cascades. PE are more computationally efficient than FDTD methods, and more flexible than RT methods, allowing for the inclusion of diffractive effects, and modeling of propagation in regions that cannot be modeled with geometric methods. We present a new PE approximation suited to the in-ice case. We conclude that current ray-tracing methods may be too simplistic in their treatment of ice properties, and their continued use could overestimate experimental sensitivity for in-ice neutrino detection experiments. We discuss the implications for current in-ice Askaryan-type detectors and for the upcoming Radar Echo Telescope; two families of experiments for which these results are most relevant. We suggest that PE methods be investigated further for in-ice radio applications.

References in corpus (16)

• RICE Limits on the Diffuse Ultra-High Energy Neutrino Flux
• The Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna Ultra-high Energy Neutrino Detector Design, Performance, and Sensitivity for 2006-2007 Balloon Flight
• Energy and Flux Measurements of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays Observed During the First ANITA Flight
• First Constraints on the Ultra-High Energy Neutrino Flux from a Prototype Station of the Askaryan Radio Array
• NuRadioReco: A reconstruction framework for radio neutrino detectors
• Measurements and Modeling of Near-Surface Radio Propagation in Glacial Ice and Implications for Neutrino Experiments
• NuRadioMC: Simulating the radio emission of neutrinos from interaction to detector
• Observation of classically `forbidden' electromagnetic wave propagation and implications for neutrino detection
• Observation of Radar Echoes From High-Energy Particle Cascades
• On the feasibility of RADAR detection of high-energy neutrino-induced showers in ice
• Neutrino vertex reconstruction with in-ice radio detectors using surface reflections and implications for the neutrino energy resolution
• Probing the angular and polarization reconstruction of the ARIANNA detector at the South Pole
• Long-baseline horizontal radio-frequency transmission through polar ice
• ARIANNA: A radio detector array for cosmic neutrinos on the Ross Ice Shelf
• The Next-Generation Radio Neutrino Observatory -- Multi-Messenger Neutrino Astrophysics at Extreme Energies
• On the Radar detection of high-energy neutrino-induced cascades in ice; From Radar scattering cross-section to sensitivity

Cited by in corpus (9)

• Detector Requirements for Model-Independent Measurements of Ultrahigh Energy Neutrino Cross Sections
• Analysis of a Tau Neutrino Origin for the Near-Horizon Air Shower Events Observed by the Fourth Flight of the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA)
• Radio Detection of High Energy Neutrinos in Ice
• Reconstructing non-repeating radio pulses with Information Field Theory
• Impact of biaxial birefringence in polar ice at radio frequencies on signal polarizations in ultra-high energy neutrino detection
• The Radar Echo Telescope for Cosmic Rays: Pathfinder Experiment for a Next-Generation Neutrino Observatory
• Simulation study for an in-situ calibration system for the measurement of the snow accumulation and the index-of-refraction profile for radio neutrino detectors
• Angular Dependence of Vertically Propagating Radio-Frequency Signals in South Polar Ice
• Validation of straight-line signal propagation for radio signal of very inclined cosmic ray air showers