State of the Ice Model in the IceCube Observatory

Icecube Collaboration

doi:10.22323/1.501.1013

State of the Ice Model in the IceCube Observatory

Icecube Collaboration

Physics and Astronomy

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

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

Abstract

IceCube is a neutrino observatory located at the South Pole that uses Antarctic ice as a medium for detection of Cherenkov photons. As such, analysis of the data relies on our understanding of the properties of ice within and around the instrumented volume. Over the years we have made significant progress in understanding the glacial ice and now have a comprehensive model that covers many of the relevant aspects of the photon propagation in it. In this report we give a historical overview of the ice description within the IceCube detector, list some of the remaining issues, and assess how much more improvement is still needed. As the IceCube Upgrade is expected to be installed in less than a year, with several new types of calibration devices aiming to further our understanding of ice, this is the perfect time to review the current state of the ice model.

Original language	English
Article number	1013
Journal	Proceedings of Science
Volume	501
DOIs	https://doi.org/10.22323/1.501.1013
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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10.22323/1.501.1013

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@article{32a946d2b02044b288efa460db51072c,

title = "State of the Ice Model in the IceCube Observatory",

abstract = "IceCube is a neutrino observatory located at the South Pole that uses Antarctic ice as a medium for detection of Cherenkov photons. As such, analysis of the data relies on our understanding of the properties of ice within and around the instrumented volume. Over the years we have made significant progress in understanding the glacial ice and now have a comprehensive model that covers many of the relevant aspects of the photon propagation in it. In this report we give a historical overview of the ice description within the IceCube detector, list some of the remaining issues, and assess how much more improvement is still needed. As the IceCube Upgrade is expected to be installed in less than a year, with several new types of calibration devices aiming to further our understanding of ice, this is the perfect time to review the current state of the ice model.",

author = "\{Icecube Collaboration\} and Schroeder, \{Frank G.\} and Federico Bontempo 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 C. Arg{\"u}elles and Y. Ashida and S. Athanasiadou and Axani, \{S. N.\} and R. Babu and X. Bai and J. Baines-Holmes and A. Balagopal and Barwick, \{S. W.\} and S. Bash and V. Basu and R. Bay and Beatty, \{J. J.\} and Tjus, \{J. Becker\} 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 E. Blaufuss and L. Bloom and S. Blot and I. Bodo and F. Bontempo and Motzkin, \{J. Y.Book\} and Meneguolo, \{C. Boscolo\} and S. B{\"o}ser and O. Botner and J. B{\"o}ttcher and J. Braun and B. Brinson and Z. Brisson-Tsavoussis and Burley, \{R. T.\} and D. Butterfield 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 = "10.22323/1.501.1013",

language = "English",

volume = "501",

journal = "Proceedings of Science",

issn = "1824-8039",

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TY - JOUR

T1 - State of the Ice Model in the IceCube Observatory

AU - Icecube Collaboration

AU - Schroeder, Frank G.

AU - Bontempo, Federico

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 - Argüelles, C.

AU - Ashida, Y.

AU - Athanasiadou, S.

AU - Axani, S. N.

AU - Babu, R.

AU - Bai, X.

AU - Baines-Holmes, J.

AU - Balagopal, A.

AU - Barwick, S. W.

AU - Bash, S.

AU - Basu, V.

AU - Bay, R.

AU - Beatty, J. J.

AU - Tjus, J. Becker

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 - Blaufuss, E.

AU - Bloom, L.

AU - Blot, S.

AU - Bodo, I.

AU - Bontempo, F.

AU - Motzkin, J. Y.Book

AU - Meneguolo, C. Boscolo

AU - Böser, S.

AU - Botner, O.

AU - Böttcher, J.

AU - Braun, J.

AU - Brinson, B.

AU - Brisson-Tsavoussis, Z.

AU - Burley, R. T.

AU - Butterfield, D.

AU - Kiryluk, J.

PY - 2025/12/30

Y1 - 2025/12/30

N2 - IceCube is a neutrino observatory located at the South Pole that uses Antarctic ice as a medium for detection of Cherenkov photons. As such, analysis of the data relies on our understanding of the properties of ice within and around the instrumented volume. Over the years we have made significant progress in understanding the glacial ice and now have a comprehensive model that covers many of the relevant aspects of the photon propagation in it. In this report we give a historical overview of the ice description within the IceCube detector, list some of the remaining issues, and assess how much more improvement is still needed. As the IceCube Upgrade is expected to be installed in less than a year, with several new types of calibration devices aiming to further our understanding of ice, this is the perfect time to review the current state of the ice model.

AB - IceCube is a neutrino observatory located at the South Pole that uses Antarctic ice as a medium for detection of Cherenkov photons. As such, analysis of the data relies on our understanding of the properties of ice within and around the instrumented volume. Over the years we have made significant progress in understanding the glacial ice and now have a comprehensive model that covers many of the relevant aspects of the photon propagation in it. In this report we give a historical overview of the ice description within the IceCube detector, list some of the remaining issues, and assess how much more improvement is still needed. As the IceCube Upgrade is expected to be installed in less than a year, with several new types of calibration devices aiming to further our understanding of ice, this is the perfect time to review the current state of the ice model.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/105029065230

U2 - 10.22323/1.501.1013

DO - 10.22323/1.501.1013

M3 - Conference article

AN - SCOPUS:105029065230

SN - 1824-8039

VL - 501

JO - Proceedings of Science

JF - Proceedings of Science

M1 - 1013

T2 - 39th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2025

Y2 - 15 July 2025 through 24 July 2025

ER -

State of the Ice Model in the IceCube Observatory

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