A Scintillator and Radio Enhancement of the IceCube Surface Detector Array

Understand

An upgrade of the present IceCube surface array (IceTop) with scintillation detectors and possibly radio antennas is foreseen.

• The enhanced array will calibrate the impact of snow accumulation on the reconstruction of cosmic-ray showers detected by IceTop as well as improve the veto capabilities of the surface array.
• In addition, such a hybrid surface array of radio antennas, scintillators and Cherenkov tanks will enable a number of complementary science targets for IceCube such as enhanced accuracy to mass composition of cosmic rays, search for PeV photons from the Galactic Center, or more thorough tests of the hadronic interaction models.
• Two prototype stations with 7 scintillation detectors each have been already deployed at the South Pole in January 2018.