A multi-PMT Optical Module for the IceCube Upgrade

Understand

Following the first observation of an astrophysical high-energy neutrino flux with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory in 2013 and the identification of a first cosmic high-energy neutrino source in 2017, the detector will be upgraded with about 700 new advanced optical sensors.

• This will expand IceCube's capabilities both at low and high neutrino energies.
• A large fraction of the upgrade modules will be multi-PMT Digital Optical Modules, mDOMs, each featuring 24 three-inch class photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) pointing uniformly in all directions, thereby providing an almost homogeneous angular coverage.
• The signal from each PMT is digitized individually, providing directional information for the incident photons.