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dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/1951/59808
dc.identifier.urihttp://hdl.handle.net/11401/71362
dc.description.sponsorshipThis work is sponsored by the Stony Brook University Graduate School in compliance with the requirements for completion of degree.en_US
dc.formatMonograph
dc.format.mediumElectronic Resourceen_US
dc.language.isoen_US
dc.publisherThe Graduate School, Stony Brook University: Stony Brook, NY.
dc.typeThesis
dcterms.abstractIceCube is a one cubic kilometer neutrino telescope at the South Pole. Its primary goal is to discover high energy cosmic neutrinos and anti-neutrinos from astrophysical sources. Observation of the spectrum near the characteristic energy $E_\nu\approx6.3\,\mbox{PeV}$ of the Glashow resonance, the interaction of anti-neutrinos with atomic electrons via $\bar{\nu}_e+e^{-}\rightarrow W^{-}$, is of particular interest. Since the cross section for this process can be calculated from first principles, it is possible to quantify separately the fluxes for neutrinos and anti-neutrinos if the resonance is observed above a continuum. In turn, such a separation will give unique insights into the astrophysics properties of the sources.\\ We conducted the first IceCube performance studies and optimizations for likelihood-based algorithms to reconstruct (anti-)neutrino-induced particle showers (cascades) in the energy range of the Glashow resonance using simulated data from electron (anti-)neutrino Monte Carlo generators and detector response simulations. For hadronic showers in the energy range $1\,{\rm{PeV}}<E_{\nu}<10\,{\rm{PeV}}$ that are well contained within the IceCube instrumented volume, we achieved an energy resolution of $10\%< \sigma \left( \Delta E / E\right)<14\%$ depending on the ice model and the shower position in the detector. The position and direction resolution varied between $1.1\,\mbox{m}<\sigma\left(\Delta x,\Delta y, \Delta z\right)<4.2\,\mbox{m}$ and $8^\circ<\theta_{RMS}<27^\circ$, respectively. We verified and refined the methods on experimental data using an in-situ laser as a pulsed light source with constant brightness and a single wavelength of $\lambda=337\,\mbox{nm}$. The energy resolution for reconstructed laser events was found to be $\sigma\left(\Delta E/E\right)=1.8\%$ from the reconstructed energy of $E\pm\delta E_{stat}=\left(527\pm9\right)\,{\rm{TeV}}$, where the uncertainty is statistical. For $83\%-92\%$ of the laser events, we reconstructed the zenith angle to within $\Delta\theta<2^\circ$ and found a position resolution of $0.3\,\mbox{m}<\sigma\left(\Delta x,y,z\right)<0.4\,\mbox{m}$ from the reconstructed positions. The existence of considerable systematic effects is evidenced by a shift of the reconstructed laser position from the true position by $3.7\,\mbox{m}$. Such effects arise, for example, from differences in photon propagation at different wavelengths. The laser data represent a best case scenario, in view of its illumination of the detector and the monochromatic laser emission. \\ The simulation results confirm IceCube's capability to observe astrophysical neutrino fluxes near the Glashow resonance and form a first demonstration, corroborated by an analysis of laser data, of IceCube's pointing capability with the cascade detection channel in this energy range.
dcterms.available2013-05-22T17:35:19Z
dcterms.available2015-04-24T14:47:11Z
dcterms.contributorSchneble, Dominik Aen_US
dcterms.contributorKiryluk, Joannaen_US
dcterms.contributorKharzeev, Dmitri.en_US
dcterms.creatorNiederhausen, Hans Martin
dcterms.dateAccepted2013-05-22T17:35:19Z
dcterms.dateAccepted2015-04-24T14:47:11Z
dcterms.dateSubmitted2013-05-22T17:35:19Z
dcterms.dateSubmitted2015-04-24T14:47:11Z
dcterms.descriptionDepartment of Physicsen_US
dcterms.extent135 pg.en_US
dcterms.formatApplication/PDFen_US
dcterms.formatMonograph
dcterms.identifierNiederhausen_grad.sunysb_0771M_11249en_US
dcterms.identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/1951/59808
dcterms.identifierhttp://hdl.handle.net/11401/71362
dcterms.issued2012-12-01
dcterms.languageen_US
dcterms.provenanceMade available in DSpace on 2013-05-22T17:35:19Z (GMT). No. of bitstreams: 1 Niederhausen_grad.sunysb_0771M_11249.pdf: 9638583 bytes, checksum: 3bb18acdf05637d31053512569834b6c (MD5) Previous issue date: 1en
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dcterms.publisherThe Graduate School, Stony Brook University: Stony Brook, NY.
dcterms.subjectPhysics--Astrophysics--Particle physics
dcterms.subjectCascades, Glashow Resonance, IceCube, Neutrino
dcterms.titlePerformance study of Cascade Reconstruction at the Glashow Resonance in IceCube
dcterms.typeThesis


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