The IceCube prototype string in Amanda

M. Ackermann, J. Ahrens, X. Bai, M. Bartelt, S. W. Barwick, R. Bay, T. Becka, J. K. Becker, K. H. Becker, E. Bernardini, D. Bertrand, D. J. Boersma, S. Böser, O. Botner, A. Bouchta, O. Bouhali, J. Braun, C. Burgess, T. Burgess, T. CastermansW. Chinowsky, D. Chirkin, J. Conrad, J. Cooley, D. F. Cowen, A. Davour, C. De Clercq, T. Deyoung, P. Desiati, P. Ekström, T. Feser, M. Gaug, T. K. Gaisser, R. Ganugapati, H. Geenen, L. Gerhardt, A. Goldschmidt, A. Groß, A. Hallgren, F. Halzen, K. Hanson, R. Hardtke, T. Harenberg, T. Hauschildt, K. Helbing, M. Hellwig, P. Herquet, G. C. Hill, D. Hubert, B. Hughey, P. O. Hulth, K. Hultqvist, S. Hundertmark, J. Jacobsen, K. H. Kampert, A. Karle, J. L. Kelley, M. Kestel, G. Kohnen, L. Köpke, M. Kowalski, M. Krasberg, K. Kuehn, H. Leich, M. Leuthold, I. Liubarsky, J. Ludvig, J. Lundberg, J. Madsen, P. Marciniewski, H. S. Matis, C. P. McParland, T. Messarius, Y. Minaeva, P. Miočinović, R. Morse, K. S. Münich, R. Nahnhauer, J. Nam, T. Neunhöffer, P. Niessen, D. R. Nygren, H. Ögelman, Ph Olbrechts, C. Pérez De Los Heros, A. C. Pohl, R. Porrata, P. B. Price, G. T. Przybylski, K. Rawlins, E. Resconi, W. Rhode, M. Ribordy, S. Richter, S. Robbins, J. Rodríguez Martino, H. G. Sander, S. Schlenstedt, D. Schneider

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

22 Scopus citations

Abstract

The Antarctic Muon And Neutrino Detector Array (Amanda) is a high-energy neutrino telescope. It is a lattice of optical modules (OM) installed in the clear ice below the South Pole Station. Each OM contains a photomultiplier tube (PMT) that detects photons of Cherenkov light generated in the ice by muons and electrons. IceCube is a cubic-kilometer-sized expansion of Amanda currently being built at the South Pole. In IceCube the PMT signals are digitized already in the optical modules and transmitted to the surface. A prototype string of 41 OMs equipped with this new all-digital technology was deployed in the Amanda array in the year 2000. In this paper we describe the technology and demonstrate that this string serves as a proof of concept for the IceCube array. Our investigations show that the OM timing accuracy is 5 ns. Atmospheric muons are detected in excellent agreement with expectations with respect to both angular distribution and absolute rate.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)169-181
Number of pages13
JournalNuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment
Volume556
Issue number1
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2006

All Science Journal Classification (ASJC) codes

  • Nuclear and High Energy Physics
  • Instrumentation

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