High-energy cosmic-ray particles permeate our universe; their study offers a natural laboratory for extreme environments far beyond anything that can be created on Earth. These particles are referred to as osmic rays and are electrically charged, which means their paths, and thus origins, are scrambled by magnetic fields in the galaxy. Fortunately, cosmic rays interacting with the matter surrounding their source produce neutrinos and gamma-rays whose trajectories point back to their birth sites.
IceCube is the world’s largest neutrino telescope. It consists of a cubic kilometre array of light sensors in Antarctic ice which detects the light produced when neutrinos interact within, or close to, the instrumented ice.
In this project IceCube neutrino data will be analysed and used to identify, or constrain, possible particle acceleration sites in our Galaxy. We will direct the neutrino searches to the dense regions near accelerators where the cosmic-ray interactions are likely to occur.
Cosmic ray diffusion between combinations of accelerators (supernova remnants) and molecular gas clouds will be used to identify the most promising regions for neutrino emission.
Neutrino observations will be combined with radio and gamma-ray data to model the areas around possible acceleration sites.
Supervisors
Primary Supervisor: Jenni Adams
Key qualifications and skills
The PhD candidate should have experience in using IceCube data, machine learning techniques and modelling cosmic-ray diffusion between supernova remnants and molecular clouds.
Does the project come with funding
Yes: Marsden Funding
Final date for receiving applications
25th August 2025
How to apply
By email to Jenni Adams with description of relevant experience
