Neutrino Detectors UnderWater and Ice

Abstract

Underwater/ice neutrino telescopes are multi-purpose detectors covering astrophysical, particle physics and environmental aspects. Among them, the detection of the feeble fluxes of astrophysical neutrinos which should accompany the production of high energy cosmic rays is the clear primary goal. Since these neutrinos can escape much denser celestial bodies than light, they can trace processes hidden to traditional astronomy. Different to gamma rays, neutrinos provide incontrovertible evidence for hadronic acceleration. On the other hand, their extremely low interaction cross section makes their detection extraordinarily difficult.