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University of California-Irvine

Contact:
Tom Vasich, (949) 824-6455, tmvasich{at}uci.edu

January 27, 2003

South Pole telescope follows trail of neutrinos
     into deepest reaches of the universe
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Researchers can now pinpoint direction of elusive subatomic particles 
key to understanding black holes, other cosmic events

Irvine, Calif. -- A unique telescope buried in Antarctic ice promises 
unparalleled insight into such extraordinary phenomena as colliding 
black holes, gamma-ray bursts, the violent cores of distant galaxies 
and the wreckage of exploded stars.

An international team of physicists and astronomers, which includes UC 
Irvine researchers, report that the AMANDA telescope is capable of 
tracking high-energy neutrinos -- elusive subatomic particles -- to 
their sources, which are emitted by these signature events. Their 
findings will be published in the Feb. 1. 2003, issue of the 
Astrophysical Journal.

"We now have a powerful new tool to scan the heavens," said Steven 
Barwick, a UCI physicist and corresponding author on the report. "This 
marks a significant breakthrough in the field of high-energy neutrino 
astronomy. AMANDA does what it was designed to do. Of all the 
high-energy particles emitted from the violent, energetic events in 
the universe, only neutrinos can directly provide information on these 
activities."

Neutrinos are invisible, uncharged, nearly massless particles that, 
unlike other kinds of radiation, speed through the universe unhindered 
by planets, stars, magnetic fields or entire galaxies. The particles 
are emitted by phenomena scientists believe can help them understand 
the origins of the universe.

Using the AMANDA detector -- a massive, 400-meter tall structure 
consisting of 308 optical sensors each the size of a bowling ball -- 
the physicists examined a previously unexplored region of the sky. 
They calculated that AMANDA could measure the direction of neutrinos 
within 3.5 degrees, which is accurate enough to reveal sources of
high-energy neutrinos. They also determined that an improved version 
of the detector, AMANDA-II, which has been operational since January 
2000, can provide as much as 10 times more information on the emission 
sources of these neutrinos.

First operational in 1997, the Antarctic Muon and Neutrino Detector 
Array (AMANDA) facility was established to study the high-energy form 
of neutrinos, which has 10,000 times more energy than that of 
low-energy neutrinos emitted by the sun. Buried more than 
one-and-a-half kilometers beneath the South Pole, the National Science 
Foundation- funded AMANDA telescope is pointed into the ground instead
of up at the sky, so the Earth can act as a filter for other forms of 
radiation. This means despite its location in the South Pole, the 
"eye" of the telescope is actually the northern skies.

Along with Barwick, other UCI researchers contributing to the AMANDA 
project are Lisa Gerhardt, Kyler Kuehn, John Kim, Pat Mock, David 
Ross, Wenqing Wu, Gaurang Yodh and Scott Young. Overall, 105 
scientists from 20 universities and institutes in the United States, 
Europe and South America collaborate on AMANDA research. Their work is
supported by a variety of international sources, including the U.S. 
National Science Foundation, the U.S. Department of Energy, and the 
UCI AENEAS Supercomputer Facility.

Related Links

* AMANDA II PROJECT
  http://amanda.uci.edu/

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