Determining the orientation of radio antennas at the South Pole using Galactic noise measurements

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a multi-messenger observatory at the South Pole. As preparation for an enhancement of its surface array, IceTop, a prototype station consisting of elevated scintillation panels and radio antennas has been installed and is operating since 2020. The radio antennas detect emissions from cosmic-ray-induced air showers, and their precise orientation is essential for an accurate reconstruction of the air-shower properties. This work presents a novel method to determine the orientation by analyzing periodic variations of the Galactic background noise recorded by the antennas. In particular, we examine noise level variations correlated with the Earth's rotation and the apparent position of the Galactic Center. The method can provide a potential alternative or augment GPS-based measurements of the alignment of radio antennas at the South Pole.

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Publication Details

Published
2025-09-23
DOI
https://doi.org/10.22323/1.501.0308
Primary Topic
Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology
Type
article
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article

Determining the orientation of radio antennas at the South Pole using Galactic noise measurements

Lars Philipp Heuermann, L. Schumacher, L. Köpke, Sofia Athanasiadou et al.
Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology
article

Determining the orientation of radio antennas at the South Pole using Galactic noise measurements

Lars Philipp Heuermann, L. Schumacher, L. Köpke, Sofia Athanasiadou, Kiara Carloni, Sarah Mechbal, Rishi Babu, Philip Weigel, Arun Vaidyanathan, Thijs van Eeden, Diego Alberto Coloma Borja, G. M. Spiczak, Christy Love, M. Lamoureux, Krishnamoorthi Jayakumar, Thien Nhan Chau, Spencer Griswold, Woosik Kang, I. Taboada, Daniel Salazar-Gallegos, S. R. Klein, Michael Campana, James DeLaunay, Frank Schröder, Jonathan Mauro, Felix Schlüter, C. H. Wiebusch, P. Desiati, Lukas Hennig, Abdul Rehman, C. De Clercq, John Evans, K. D. de Vries, Alexander Sandrock, Sebastian Schindler, Yuriy Popovych, Federico Bontempo, Axel Ponten, Hershal Pandya, Ek Narayan Paudel, A. Parenti, G. de Wasseige, Emre Burak Yildizci, Veronika Palušová, A. Haungs, Erik Ganster, Kareem Ramadan Farrag, Leonora Kardum, Shefali Shefali, J. Vandenbroucke, Colton Hill, Frederik Hermann Lauber, J. C. Díaz–Vélez, Alexandra Trettin, Richard Naab, Julian Saffer, Christoph Raab, J. V. 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article en

Abstract

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory is a multi-messenger observatory at the South Pole. As preparation for an enhancement of its surface array, IceTop, a prototype station consisting of elevated scintillation panels and radio antennas has been installed and is operating since 2020. The radio antennas detect emissions from cosmic-ray-induced air showers, and their precise orientation is essential for an accurate reconstruction of the air-shower properties. This work presents a novel method to determine the orientation by analyzing periodic variations of the Galactic background noise recorded by the antennas. In particular, we examine noise level variations correlated with the Earth's rotation and the apparent position of the Galactic Center. The method can provide a potential alternative or augment GPS-based measurements of the alignment of radio antennas at the South Pole.

National Science Foundation, U.S. Department of Energy, University of Wisconsin-Madison, Nvidia, Michigan State University, Villum Fonden, Polarforskningssekretariatet, Marquette University, Western Canada Research Grid, European Commission, National Research Foundation, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Schweizerischer Nationalfonds zur Förderung der Wissenschaftlichen Forschung, Fonds De La Recherche Scientifique - FNRS, Belgian Federal Science Policy Office, Fonds Wetenschappelijk Onderzoek, National Research Foundation of Korea, Knut och Alice Wallenbergs Stiftelse, Vetenskapsrådet, RWTH Aachen University, Chiba University, Helmholtz Alliance for Astroparticle Physics, Alliance de recherche numérique du Canada, College of Engineering, Michigan State University, Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada, Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron, Japan Society for the Promotion of Science, Marsden Fund, Institute for Global Prominent Research, Chiba University, Office of Polar Programs, Office of Advanced Cyberinfrastructure, Office of Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research
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Radio Astronomy Observations and Technology
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