We are part of a large collaboration of about 150 scientists working to use the AMANDA and IceCube telescopes to detect ultra-high energy neutrinos. The AMANDA telescope was completed in 2000, with 677 optical sensors buried between 1,500 and 2,000 meters below the ice.  IceCube, which will ultimately consist of about 5,000 modules, is currently under construction. The figure shows an artist's conception of what the two detectors will look like once IceCube has been completely deployed.

 

 

 

Our goal is to gain information about the universe around us through the detection of these neutrinos.  Neutrinos are unique in that they can traverse long distances without being deflected, scattered or absorbed by interstellar magnetic fields, starlight or dust, as depicted in the figure below. Therefore, they should be able to give us accurate information about what is going on in the distant reaches of the cosmos and in the hearts of the most violent astrophysical objects.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Historically, whenever astronomers open a new window on the universe, they have often made dramatic discoveries and gained new insight into the universe around us. We are building IceCube in the hope that it will join this illustrious group of discovery instruments.