Cosmic-Ray Physics in the PeV to EeV Energy Range with the IceCube-Gen2 Surface Array

IceCube-Gen2 Collaboration

doi:10.22323/1.501.0387

Cosmic-Ray Physics in the PeV to EeV Energy Range with the IceCube-Gen2 Surface Array

IceCube-Gen2 Collaboration

Physics and Astronomy

Loyola University Chicago
German Electron Synchrotron
University of Canterbury
University of Wisconsin-Madison
Institute of Physics Bhubaneswar
Université libre de Bruxelles
University of Copenhagen
TU Dortmund University
University of Kansas
University of Delaware
Marquette University
Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nürnberg
Harvard University
University of Utah
RWTH Aachen University
Michigan State University
South Dakota School of Mines & Technology
University of California at Irvine
University of California at Berkeley
Ruhr University Bochum
Chalmers University of Technology
Uppsala University
Technical University of Munich
University of Rochester
University of Maryland, College Park
University of Padua
National Institute for Nuclear Physics
University of Alabama
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Johannes Gutenberg University Mainz
Georgia Institute of Technology
Queen's University Kingston
Adelaide University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article › peer-review

Abstract

IceCube-Gen2 is a proposed neutrino observatory at the South Pole that will build on the success of IceCube and will also serve as a unique detector for cosmic-ray air showers. Analogous to the IceTop surface array over IceCube’s deep optical detector, IceCube-Gen2 will also feature a surface array above the optical array deep in the ice. As improvement over IceTop, the IceCubeGen2 surface array will be comprised of elevated detectors to avoid snow coverage, and will combine two types of detectors: scintillation panels that measure air-shower particles on ground and enable a low detection threshold, which is important to serve as a veto for selecting downgoing neutrino candidates, and radio antennas which increase the measurement accuracy for air showers by providing a calorimetric measurement of the electromagnetic shower component and its depth of maximum, X_max. As another major advantage, the eight times larger surface area combined with a larger field of view will provide a 30-fold increase for the aperture of surface-deep coincident events. With these improvements in statistics and measurement accuracy, IceCube-Gen2 will thus make unique contributions to the particle physics and astrophysics of Galactic cosmic rays in the PeV to EeV energy range, including the search for PeV photon sources. This proceeding summarizes the technical design and science case enabled by the IceCube-Gen2 Surface Array.

Original language	English
Article number	387
Journal	Proceedings of Science
Volume	501
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.22323/1.501.0387
State	Published - Dec 30 2025
Event	39th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2025 - Geneva, Switzerland Duration: Jul 15 2025 → Jul 24 2025

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@article{0a20796c659f45738a1da7299c36c3ee,

title = "Cosmic-Ray Physics in the PeV to EeV Energy Range with the IceCube-Gen2 Surface Array",

abstract = "IceCube-Gen2 is a proposed neutrino observatory at the South Pole that will build on the success of IceCube and will also serve as a unique detector for cosmic-ray air showers. Analogous to the IceTop surface array over IceCube{\textquoteright}s deep optical detector, IceCube-Gen2 will also feature a surface array above the optical array deep in the ice. As improvement over IceTop, the IceCubeGen2 surface array will be comprised of elevated detectors to avoid snow coverage, and will combine two types of detectors: scintillation panels that measure air-shower particles on ground and enable a low detection threshold, which is important to serve as a veto for selecting downgoing neutrino candidates, and radio antennas which increase the measurement accuracy for air showers by providing a calorimetric measurement of the electromagnetic shower component and its depth of maximum, Xmax. As another major advantage, the eight times larger surface area combined with a larger field of view will provide a 30-fold increase for the aperture of surface-deep coincident events. With these improvements in statistics and measurement accuracy, IceCube-Gen2 will thus make unique contributions to the particle physics and astrophysics of Galactic cosmic rays in the PeV to EeV energy range, including the search for PeV photon sources. This proceeding summarizes the technical design and science case enabled by the IceCube-Gen2 Surface Array.",

author = "\{IceCube-Gen2 Collaboration\} and R. Abbasi and M. Ackermann and J. Adams and Agarwalla, \{S. K.\} and Aguilar, \{J. A.\} and M. Ahlers and Alameddine, \{J. M.\} and S. Ali and Amin, \{N. M.\} and K. Andeen and G. Anton and C. Arg{\"u}elles and Y. Ashida and S. Athanasiadou and J. Audehm and Axani, \{S. N.\} and R. Babu and X. Bai and \{Balagopal V.\}, A. and M. Baricevic and Barwick, \{S. W.\} and V. Basu and R. Bay and \{Becker Tjus\}, J. and P. Behrens and J. Beise and C. Bellenghi and B. Benkel and S. BenZvi and D. Berley and E. Bernardini and Besson, \{D. Z.\} and A. Bishop and E. Blaufuss and L. Bloom and S. Blot and M. Bohmer and F. Bontempo and \{Book Motzkin\}, \{J. Y.\} and J. Borowka and \{Boscolo Meneguolo\}, C. and S. B{\"o}ser and O. Botner and J. B{\"o}ttcher and S. Bouma and J. Braun and B. Brinson and Z. Brisson-Tsavoussis and Burley, \{R. T.\} and J. Kiryluk",

note = "Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Copyright owned by the author(s); 39th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2025 ; Conference date: 15-07-2025 Through 24-07-2025",

year = "2025",

month = dec,

day = "30",

doi = "10.22323/1.501.0387",

language = "English",

volume = "501",

journal = "Proceedings of Science",

issn = "1824-8039",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - Cosmic-Ray Physics in the PeV to EeV Energy Range with the IceCube-Gen2 Surface Array

AU - IceCube-Gen2 Collaboration

AU - Abbasi, R.

AU - Ackermann, M.

AU - Adams, J.

AU - Agarwalla, S. K.

AU - Aguilar, J. A.

AU - Ahlers, M.

AU - Alameddine, J. M.

AU - Ali, S.

AU - Amin, N. M.

AU - Andeen, K.

AU - Anton, G.

AU - Argüelles, C.

AU - Ashida, Y.

AU - Athanasiadou, S.

AU - Audehm, J.

AU - Axani, S. N.

AU - Babu, R.

AU - Bai, X.

AU - Balagopal V., A.

AU - Baricevic, M.

AU - Barwick, S. W.

AU - Basu, V.

AU - Bay, R.

AU - Becker Tjus, J.

AU - Behrens, P.

AU - Beise, J.

AU - Bellenghi, C.

AU - Benkel, B.

AU - BenZvi, S.

AU - Berley, D.

AU - Bernardini, E.

AU - Besson, D. Z.

AU - Bishop, A.

AU - Blaufuss, E.

AU - Bloom, L.

AU - Blot, S.

AU - Bohmer, M.

AU - Bontempo, F.

AU - Book Motzkin, J. Y.

AU - Borowka, J.

AU - Boscolo Meneguolo, C.

AU - Böser, S.

AU - Botner, O.

AU - Böttcher, J.

AU - Bouma, S.

AU - Braun, J.

AU - Brinson, B.

AU - Brisson-Tsavoussis, Z.

AU - Burley, R. T.

AU - Kiryluk, J.

PY - 2025/12/30

Y1 - 2025/12/30

N2 - IceCube-Gen2 is a proposed neutrino observatory at the South Pole that will build on the success of IceCube and will also serve as a unique detector for cosmic-ray air showers. Analogous to the IceTop surface array over IceCube’s deep optical detector, IceCube-Gen2 will also feature a surface array above the optical array deep in the ice. As improvement over IceTop, the IceCubeGen2 surface array will be comprised of elevated detectors to avoid snow coverage, and will combine two types of detectors: scintillation panels that measure air-shower particles on ground and enable a low detection threshold, which is important to serve as a veto for selecting downgoing neutrino candidates, and radio antennas which increase the measurement accuracy for air showers by providing a calorimetric measurement of the electromagnetic shower component and its depth of maximum, Xmax. As another major advantage, the eight times larger surface area combined with a larger field of view will provide a 30-fold increase for the aperture of surface-deep coincident events. With these improvements in statistics and measurement accuracy, IceCube-Gen2 will thus make unique contributions to the particle physics and astrophysics of Galactic cosmic rays in the PeV to EeV energy range, including the search for PeV photon sources. This proceeding summarizes the technical design and science case enabled by the IceCube-Gen2 Surface Array.

AB - IceCube-Gen2 is a proposed neutrino observatory at the South Pole that will build on the success of IceCube and will also serve as a unique detector for cosmic-ray air showers. Analogous to the IceTop surface array over IceCube’s deep optical detector, IceCube-Gen2 will also feature a surface array above the optical array deep in the ice. As improvement over IceTop, the IceCubeGen2 surface array will be comprised of elevated detectors to avoid snow coverage, and will combine two types of detectors: scintillation panels that measure air-shower particles on ground and enable a low detection threshold, which is important to serve as a veto for selecting downgoing neutrino candidates, and radio antennas which increase the measurement accuracy for air showers by providing a calorimetric measurement of the electromagnetic shower component and its depth of maximum, Xmax. As another major advantage, the eight times larger surface area combined with a larger field of view will provide a 30-fold increase for the aperture of surface-deep coincident events. With these improvements in statistics and measurement accuracy, IceCube-Gen2 will thus make unique contributions to the particle physics and astrophysics of Galactic cosmic rays in the PeV to EeV energy range, including the search for PeV photon sources. This proceeding summarizes the technical design and science case enabled by the IceCube-Gen2 Surface Array.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105029059373

U2 - 10.22323/1.501.0387

DO - 10.22323/1.501.0387

M3 - Conference article

AN - SCOPUS:105029059373

SN - 1824-8039

VL - 501

JO - Proceedings of Science

JF - Proceedings of Science

M1 - 387

T2 - 39th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2025

Y2 - 15 July 2025 through 24 July 2025

ER -

Cosmic-Ray Physics in the PeV to EeV Energy Range with the IceCube-Gen2 Surface Array

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