Origin and evolution of cosmic accelerators - the unique discovery
  potential of an UHE neutrino telescope: Astronomy Decadal Survey (2010-2020)
  Science White Paper
  One of the most tantalizing questions in astronomy and astrophysics, namely
the origin and the evolution of the cosmic accelerators that produce the
highest energy cosmic rays (UHECR), may be best addressed through the
observation of ultra high energy (UHE) cosmogenic neutrinos. Neutrinos travel
from their source undeflected by magnetic fields and unimpeded by interactions
with the cosmic microwave background. At high energies, neutrinos could be
detected in dense, radio frequency (RF) transparent media via the Askaryan
effect. The abundant cold ice covering the geographic South Pole, with its
exceptional RF clarity, has been host to several pioneering efforts to develop
this approach, including RICE and ANITA. Building on the expertise gained in
these efforts, and the infrastructure developed in the construction of the
IceCube optical Cherenkov observatory, a low-cost array of radio frequency
antenna stations could be deployed near the Pole to efficiently detect a
significant number of UHE neutrinos with degree scale angular resolution within
the next decade. Such an array, if installed in close proximity to IceCube,
could allow cross-calibration on a small but invaluable subset of neutrino
events detected by both the optical and radio methods. In addition to providing
critical information in the identification of the source of UHECRs, such an
observatory could also provide a unique probe of long baseline high energy
neutrino interactions unattainable in any man-made neutrino beam.
