Probing the Firn Refractive Index Profile Using Antenna Response

McLennan C, Besson D, Agarwal S, Aguilar JA, Alden N, Ali S, Allison P, Betts M, Besson D, Bishop A, Botner O, Bouma S, Buitink S, Camphyn R, Chan J, Chiche S, Clark BA, Coleman A, Couberly K, de Kockere S, de Vries KD, Deaconu C, Giri P, Glaser C, Glüsenkamp T, Gui H, Hallgren A, Hallmann S, Hanson JC, Helbing K, Hendricks B, Henrichs-Schuhegger J, Heyer N, Hornhuber C, Santiago EH, Hughes K, Jaitly A, Karg T, Karle A, Kelley JL, Kopper C, Korntheuer M, Kowalski M, Kravchenko I, Krebs R, Kugelmeier M, Lahmann R, Liu CH, Marsee MJ, McLennan C, Mulrey K, Muzio M, Nelles A, Novikov A, Nozdrina A, Oberla E, Oeyen B, Punsuebsay N, Pyras L, Ravn M, Rifaie A, Ryckbosch D, Schlüter F, Scholten O, Seckel D, Seikh MF, Selcuk ZS, Stachurska J, Stoffels J, Toscano S, Tosi D, Tutt J, Van Den Broeck DJ, van Eijndhoven N, Vieregg AG, Vijai A, Welling C, Williams DR, Windischhofer P, Wissel S, Young R, Zink A (2025)

Publication Type: Conference contribution

Publication year: 2025

Journal

PoS - Proceedings of Science SISSA

Publisher: Sissa Medialab Srl

Book Volume: 501

Conference Proceedings Title: Proceedings of Science

Event location: Geneva

DOI: 10.22323/1.501.1121

Abstract

We present a novel methodology for extracting firn ice properties using reflection coefficients (‘S11’) of antennas lowered into boreholes. Experiments like the Radio Neutrino Observatory in Greenland (RNO-G) require precise firn index of refraction profiles for accurate reconstruction of incident neutrinos and cosmic rays. Using a data-driven method guided by neutron probe measurements in the vicinity of Summit Station, a depth-dependent S11 profile can be translated into a refractive index profile. We present results based on data taken in August, 2024 and May, 2025 from boreholes at Summit Station, Greenland.

Authors with CRIS profile

Sjoerd Bouma Professur für Experimentelle Astroteilchenphysik, insbesondere Radionachweis von Neutrinos Steffen Hallmann Lehrstuhl für Experimentelle Astroteilchenphysik Jakob Henrichs-Schuhegger Professur für Experimentelle Astroteilchenphysik, insbesondere Radionachweis von Neutrinos Annanay Jaitly Professur für Experimentelle Astroteilchenphysik, insbesondere Radionachweis von Neutrinos Robert Lahmann Lehrstuhl für Experimentalphysik (Astroteilchenphysik) Anna Nelles Professur für Experimentelle Astroteilchenphysik, insbesondere Radionachweis von Neutrinos Zeynep Su Selcuk Professur für Experimentelle Astroteilchenphysik, insbesondere Radionachweis von Neutrinos Adrian Zink Physikalisches Institut

Involved external institutions

The University of Alabama

United States (USA) (US) University of Kansas (KU)

United States (USA) (US) Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center (WIPAC)

United States (USA) (US) Uppsala University

Sweden (SE) Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB)

Belgium (BE) Université libre de Bruxelles (ULB) / Free University of Brussels

Belgium (BE) Radboud University Nijmegen

Netherlands (NL) University of Delaware (UDEL)

United States (USA) (US) Ohio State University

United States (USA) (US) University of Chicago

United States (USA) (US) Universiteit Gent (UGent) / Ghent University

Belgium (BE) Deutsches Elektronen-Synchrotron DESY

Germany (DE) Bergische Universität Wuppertal

Germany (DE) University of Nebraska-Lincoln

United States (USA) (US) Whittier College

United States (USA) (US) Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)

United States (USA) (US) University of Maryland, College Park (UMD)

United States (USA) (US)

How to cite

APA:

McLennan, C., Besson, D., Agarwal, S., Aguilar, J.A., Alden, N., Ali, S.,... Zink, A. (2025). Probing the Firn Refractive Index Profile Using Antenna Response. In Proceedings of Science. Geneva, CH: Sissa Medialab Srl.

MLA:

McLennan, Curtis, et al. "Probing the Firn Refractive Index Profile Using Antenna Response." Proceedings of the 39th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2025, Geneva Sissa Medialab Srl, 2025.

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