A radio air shower detector as an extension for IceCube and IceTop

The IceCube neutrino detector is being built into the Antarctic ice sheet at the South Pole to measure high energy neutrinos. For this, 4800 PMTs are being deployed at depths between 1450 and 2450 m into the ice to identify neutrino induced charged particles like muons. IceTop is a surface air shower detector consisting of 160 ice Cherenkov tanks located on top of IceCube. A radio air shower detector is designed to extend IceTop and increase significantly the sensitivity at higher shower energies and for inclined showers. Furthermore, composition studies would be improved with this three component detector comprising IceCube, IceTop and Radio. In this scenario IceCube detects the muonic component, IceTop the charged particles at the surface and radio measures the longitudinal development of the air shower. Furthermore, high energy air showers generate the muonic background for the extra high energy (EHE) neutrino detection in IceCube. For this, a radio extension of IceCube is not only an air shower detector, but also works as a veto to reduce this background. Radio background studies and simulations of the expected radio signals from air showers lead to an estimation of the radio detector efficiency. The requirements necessary for a veto detector are outlined in this work. (C) 2009 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.