Collaborative Research: WoU-MMA: Operations and Development of the Askaryan Radio Array for the Next Generation of Radio Neutrino Detection

This award supports continued operation of the Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) astrophysics experiment, an array of antennas embedded in the ice at the South Pole. The experiment aims to detect fundamental particles called neutrinos produced by the most energetic processes in the universe. Astrophysical neutrinos at the highest energies will provide crucial clues to the sources of the highest energy particles in the universe whose origins remain a mystery despite being observed for over a century. The award will also enable development of innovative detection technologies that will increase sensitivity to neutrinos allowing deeper exploration of the scientific questions being addressed. ARA collaborators engage the broader community by communicating their work to the public, taking leadership roles in outreach and public education events, and engaging junior researchers at the high school and college levels. This award enables the Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) to maintain operations at the South Pole and monitoring activities in the Northern Hemisphere. This comes at an important moment for ARA when we are publishing a world-leading all-sky search for neutrinos in all five stations in data spanning the lifetime of the detector, and positioning ourselves for follow-up searches for neutrinos from astrophysical transient and point sources. This also allows ARA to further its development of the ARA-Next multi-channel trigger system, which will allow the experiment to record events showing the many signatures that neutrinos and cosmic rays can produce in the ice, as demonstrated by ARA. With this award, we will develop one prototype that we aim to be deployable in one revision, and begin the integration of one other deployable ARA-Next station and a replica for development and testing in the North. This award does not include any Antarctic field work. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.