Leiden University Student Repository

Loo, Jurriën van der (2016)

Analysis of the muon flux depth dependency with the KM3NeT detector

Bachelor thesis | Natuurkunde (BSc)

The KM3NeT detector is a neutrino telescope under construction in the Mediterranean Sea. High-energy particles travelling at great velocities can emit underwater light, which is measured by the detector. Data coming from the parts that are already deployed can be interpreted and analysed to determine characteristics of these incident particles. Muons are of particular interest in this research, because they can be easily identified as such. Nearly all muons approach the detector from above and, as it spans well over 600 m in length, muons are measured at different depths. Because of the large volume of sea water between the highest and the lowest part of the detector, it is expected that more muons are measured at the top than at the bottom. In a few separate ways it has been shown that this is indeed the case. Fewer hits are measured deeper down the detector, which means that the muon hit rate is dependent of the depth. It has been demonstrated that the distance over which the muon...Show moreThe KM3NeT detector is a neutrino telescope under construction in the Mediterranean Sea. High-energy particles travelling at great velocities can emit underwater light, which is measured by the detector. Data coming from the parts that are already deployed can be interpreted and analysed to determine characteristics of these incident particles. Muons are of particular interest in this research, because they can be easily identified as such. Nearly all muons approach the detector from above and, as it spans well over 600 m in length, muons are measured at different depths. Because of the large volume of sea water between the highest and the lowest part of the detector, it is expected that more muons are measured at the top than at the bottom. In a few separate ways it has been shown that this is indeed the case. Fewer hits are measured deeper down the detector, which means that the muon hit rate is dependent of the depth. It has been demonstrated that the distance over which the muon intensity halves is equal to 530 m. Comparing the data with Monte Carlo simulations has shown good agreement.Show less

muon

neutrino detector

KM3NeT

depth dependency

Author

Loo, Jurriën van der

Faculty

Faculty of Science

Specialisation

Phyics

Supervisors

Samtleben, Dorothea

ECTS Credits

3

Language

en