Francis Halzen: IceCube: A Neutrino Window on the Universe
The IceCube project at the South Pole melted 86 holes over 1.5 miles deep, in the Antarctic icecap, to construct an enormous observatory. The experiment discovered a flux of neutrinos reaching us from the cosmos, with energies more than a million times those of neutrinos produced at accelerator laboratories. These cosmic neutrinos are astronomical messengers from the extreme universe that is opaque to light. We discuss the IceCube telescope and recent discoveries that some high-energy neutrinos originate from sources powered by supermassive black holes.
This talk is intended for a general audience including enthusiasts of all backgrounds and ages.
The mission of the Russell Frank Astronomy Lecture Series is to bring distinguished scientists to UNLV to present lectures aimed at communicating cutting edge science to the general public. The lectures are free and are held once each semester. They are intended for a general audience and we encourage enthusiasts of all backgrounds and ages to attend.
The sponsor of the series, Russell Frank, is a New Jersey native who has multiple degrees and has taught at several prestigious institutions. Frank says: "I have enjoyed the various courses I have taken at UNLV and providing the astronomy and physics lecture series to the community is my way of giving back to the university."
