Speaker
Description
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory has been successfully operating for 15 years at the South Pole. During this time, IceCube has made many groundbreaking observations in neutrino astrophysics, including the discovery of a high-energy astrophysical neutrino flux; the Seyfert galaxy NGC1068 as a neutrino source candidate; and neutrinos from the Milky Way.
In the 2025/26 Antarctic field season, an extension to IceCube, known as the IceCube Upgrade, was deployed, consisting of 5 new strings instrumented with newly designed optical modules. These 5 new strings make up a dense infill in the center of the detector to target low energy neutrino events; the optical modules are spaced closer together than in IceCube, and contain multiple photomultiplier tubes. The increase in photocathode density allows for higher sensitivity at the GeV scale, resulting in improved capabilities for neutrino oscillations studies and low-energy astronomy. In addition to the optical modules, many calibration devices were deployed, which will study the properties of the glacial ice and detector response. In this talk, I will discuss the success of the Upgrade’s deployment season, as well give an outlook towards the science goals.