Search for UHE neutrinos using a refurbished 25-m telescope

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment, 2009-06, Vol.604 (1), p.S119-S121
• Main Author: Kalberla, Peter M.W.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Coherent radio emission; Lunar Cherenkov technique; UHE neutrino detection
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2009.03.039

Lunar Cherenkov experiments with radio telescopes require large amounts of observing time but the competition with other astronomical projects leads usually to severe limitations in the observing time that can be allocated to the search for ultra high energy (UHE) neutrinos. To overcome this uncomfortable situation, we propose to dedicate a refurbished 25-m telescope to this kind of research. The aim is to track the Moon continuously over a period of at least three years. The 25-m Astropeiler Stockert, located close to Bonn, is currently under reconstruction. This industrial heritage will be back to operations early in 2009. A new 21-cm receiver will allow hands-on astronomy for amateurs and students. Only little efforts are necessary to upgrade the available hardware to perform state-of-the-art Cherenkov experiments. We briefly describe the achievable sky coverage and the expected sensitivity.