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Antarctic Balloon Experiment Detects Radio Pulses from Deep Beneath Ice

Anomalies appear to defy neutrino behavior, prompting development of the PUEO detector for further investigation.

The ANITA Experiment prepares for launch.
A team is studying signals from Antarctic ice
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Overview

  • ANITA, a balloon-borne array flown over Antarctica to detect neutrino-induced radio emissions, recorded pulses arriving from 30° below the ice surface in 2006 and 2014.
  • Calculations show these signals must have traversed thousands of kilometers of rock, which should have absorbed them under established particle physics models.
  • Cross-checks with IceCube and the Pierre Auger Observatory found no corresponding events, ruling out known cosmic-ray or neutrino sources.
  • Researchers published the anomalous findings in Physical Review Letters and report that the signals do not match expected neutrino or other standard particle signatures.
  • The team is developing the Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO) with enhanced sensitivity to capture more anomalies and probe the signals’ origin.