Hamburg 2016 – wissenschaftliches Programm

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T: Fachverband Teilchenphysik

T 41: Neutrinoastronomie

T 41.8: Vortrag

Montag, 29. Februar 2016, 18:30–18:45, VMP9 SR 30

Luminescence as a new detection method for non-relativistic highly ionizing particles in water/ice neutrino telescopes — •Anna Pollmann for the IceCube collaboration — Bergische Universität Wuppertal

Cosmic ray detectors use air as a radiator for luminescence. In water and ice detectors Cherenkov light is the dominant light producing mechanism when the particle velocity exceeds the Cherenkov threshold, approximately three quarters of the speed of light.

Luminescence is produced by highly ionizing particles passing through matter due to the excitation of the surrounding atoms. The observables of luminescence, such as the wavelength spectrum and decay times, are highly dependent on the properties of the medium. Therefore, the results of measurements, in which luminescence was produced by particles passing through water or ice, vary by two orders of magnitude in intensity.

It will be shown that, even for the most conservative intensity value, luminescence can be used as a detection method for highly ionizing particles with velocities below the Cherenkov threshold. These could be magnetic monopoles or other massive and highly penetrating exotic particles. In the most optimistic case, luminescence contributes even to the light output of standard model particles.