KM3NeT: Conceptual Design Report KM3NeT Conceptual Design for a Deep‐Sea Research Infrastructure Incorporating a Very Large Volume Neutrino Telescope in the Mediterranean Sea 1 KM3NeT: Conceptual Design Report KM3NeT: Conceptual Design Report KM3NeT Conceptual Design Report for a Deep‐Sea Research Infrastructure Incorporating a Very Large Volume Neutrino Telescope in the Mediterranean Sea The wrecks dissolve above us; their dust drops down from afar ‐‐ Down to the dark, to the utter dark, where the blind white sea‐snakes are. There is no sound, no echo of sound, in the deserts of the deep, Or the great gray level plains of ooze where the shell‐burred cables creep. From: The Deep‐Sea Cables by Rudyard Kipling KM3NeT: Conceptual Design Report This document was edited by: John Carr, Greg Hallewell, Anne Holford, Uli Katz, Paul Kooijman, Luciano Moscoso, Paolo Piattelli and Petros Rapidis Cover design: Marc de Boer Work supported by the EU in the 6th Framework Programme under Contract Number 011937 KM3NeT: Conceptual Design Report P. Bagley, A. Holford, A. Jamieson, M. Priede University of Aberdeen, United Kingdom M. Ageron, J. Aubert, V. Bertin, S. Beurthey, M. Billault, A. Brown, J. Brunner, J. Busto, L. Caillat, A. Calzas, J. Carr, A. Cosquer, P. Coyle, C.iCurtil, D. Dornic, S. Escoffier, F. Gensolen, C. Gojak, G. Hallewell, P. Keller, P. Lagier, P. Payre, C. Reed University of Aix‐Marseille II and Centre de Physique de Particules de Marseille/IN2P3/CNRS, Marseille, France R. Bruijn, J. Koopstra, G. Lim, E. de Wolf University of Amsterdam, the Netherlands B. Baret, C. Donzaud, A. Kouchner, V. Van Elewyck APC–AstroParticule et Cosmologie–UMR 7164 (CNRS, Université Paris 7, CEA, Observatoire de Paris), Paris, France E.G. Anassontzis, L.K. Resvanis University of Athens, Greece S. Anvar, J. Ballet, F. Chateau, E. Delagnes, F. Druillole, D. Durand, I. Grenier, F. Guilloux, P. Kestener, P. Lamare, H. Le Provost, S. Loucatos, F. Louis, G. Maurin, L. Moscoso, C. Naumann, J.‐P. Schuller, T. Stolarczyk, B. Vallage, P. Vernin CEA Saclay, IRFU, 91191 Gif‐sur‐Yvette, France C. Rabouille CEA‐CNRS‐UVSQ , LSCE/IPSL, 91198 Gif‐sur‐Yvette, France D. Baccila, M. Borghini, M. Fassin, G. Gasparini, K. Schroeder, S. Sparnocchia, P. Traverso, K. Schroeder CNR –ISMAR, Ancona, Italy J.A. Aguilar, J. Bernabeu‐Verdu, J. Hernandez‐Rey, D. Real, F. Salesa, S. Toscano, J.D. Zornoza CSIC, Valencia, Spain P. Razis University of Cyprus F. Aharonian, D. Malishev, S. Delaney, L. Drury, S. Gabici, A. Hooper, A. Taylor Dublin Institute For Advanced Studies, Ireland G. Anton, R. Auer, T. Eberl, F. Fehr, U. Fritsch, K. Graf, B. Herold, J. Hößl, O. Kalekin, A. Kappes, U.F. Katz, R. Klein, C. Kopper, S.iKuch,, R. Lahmann, M. Millinger, H.iMotz, F. Schöck, R. Shanidze University of Erlangen, Germany A. Albert, F. Cohen, J. Ernenwein, D. Stubert‐Drouhin Université de Haut Alsace‐GRPHE, Mulhouse, France G. Chronis, I. Georgiadou, H. Kontoyiannis, V. Lykousis, E. Papadopoulos Hellenic Centre for Marine Research (HCMR), Greece N. Fragoulis, N. Gizani, K. Kalogirou, A. Leisos, A. Tsirigotis, S. Tzamarias Hellenic Open University, Patras, Greece R. Bellotti, M. Circella, R. Megna, G. De Ruvo, M. Ruppi INFN Sezione Bari and University of Bari, Italy M. Bazzotti, S. Biagi, G. Carminati, S. Cecchini, T. Chiarusi, G. Giacomelli, A. Margiotta, M. Spurio INFN Sezione Bologna and University of Bologna, Italy S. Aiello, L. Caponetto, A. Grimaldi, E. Leonora, D. Lo Presti, N. Randazzo, S Reito, G.V. Russo, D. Sciliberto, V. Sipala, S. Urso INFN Sezione di Catania and University of Catania, Italy M. Anghinolfi, A. Bersani, M.Battaglieri, R. Cereseto, R.DeVita, H. Costantini, K. Fratini, S. Minutoli, P. Musico, M.Osipenko, G.iRicco, M.Ripani,M. Taiuti, M. Brunoldi, D. Piombo, D. Torazza INFN Sezione Genova and University of Genova, Italy I. Amore, A. Anzalone, G. Cacopardo, R. Cocimano, R. Coniglione, A. D'Amico, C. Distefano, E. Migneco, M. Musumeci, A. Orlando, R. Papaleo, V. Pappalardo, P. Piattelli, G. Raia, G. Riccobene, A. Rovelli, P. Sapienza, M. Sedita INFN Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Catania, Italy KM3NeT: Conceptual Design Report R. Habel, A. Martini, L. Trasatti INFN Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Italy G. Barbarino, G. De Rosa , S. Russo INFN Sezione Napoli and University of Napoli, Italy E. Castorina, V. Flaminio, R. Garaguso, D. Grasso, A. Marinelli, M. Morganti, C. Sollima INFN Sezione Pisa and University of Pisa, Italy F. Ameli, M. Bonori, A. Capone, G. De Bonis, F. Lucarelli, R. Masullo, F. Simeone, M. Vecchi INFN Sezione Roma and University of Roma 1, Italy B. Bigourdan, P. Bouquet, D. Choqueuse, G. Damy, J. Drogou, Z. Guédé, J. Marvaldi, J. Rolin, P. Valdy IFREMER, France G. Etiope, P. Favali, C. La Fratta, G. Marinaro Istituto Nazionale di Vulcanologia, Italy K. Lyons, T. Pradier, C. Racca Institut pluridisciplinaire Hubert Curien Strasbourg, ULP, CNRS, IN2P3, Strasbourg, France D. Felea, O. Maris, G. Pavalas, V. Popa, A. Radu, M. Rujoiu, D. Tonoiu Institute of Space Sciences, Machurele‐Bucharest, Romania N.Bellou, F. Colijn, P. Koske, T. Staller University of Kiel, Germany N. Kalantar‐Nayestanaki, H. Löhner KVI and University of Groningen, the Netherlands S. Bradbury, J. Rose, R.J. White University of Leeds, United Kingdom F. Jouvenot, C. Touramanis University of Liverpool, United Kingdom P. Kapribanos, D. Lenis, C. Markou, Y. Papazoglou, P. Rapidis, I. Siotis National Center of Scientific Research “Demokritos”, Athens, Greece A. Assis Jesus, H. Boer Rookhuizen, R. de Boer,M. Bouwhuis, C. Colnard, P. Decowski, E. Heine, J.iHogenbirk, M. van der Hoek, P. Jansweijer, M. de Jong, H. Kok, L. Kruijer, S.iMangano, S. Mos, H. Peek, E. Presani, D. Palioselitis, G. van der Steenhoven, J.Steijger, P. Timmer, P. Werneke, G. Wijnker NIKHEF, Amsterdam, the Netherlands H. van Haren, M. Smit Koninklijk Nederlands Instituut voor Onderzoek der Zee (NIOZ), Texel, the Netherlands S. Anasontzis, T. Athanasopoulos, A. Ball, A. Belias, A. Fotiou, Y. Kiskiras, A. Kostoglou, S. Koutsoukos, M. Maniatis, E.iMarkopoulos, A. Psallidas, L.K. Resvanis, G. Stavropoulos, V. Tsagli, G. Vermisoglou, V. Zhukov NOA / NESTOR, Pylos, Greece J. Perkin, L. Thompson University of Sheffield, United Kingdom F. Gasparoni, S. Giacopelli Tecnomare, Venice, Italy P. Kooijman University of Utrecht, the Netherlands C. Bigongiari, J. Zúñiga University of Valencia, Spain J. Alba, M. Ardid, M. Bou‐Cabo, F. Camarena, V. Espinosa, J. Martínez‐Mora, J. Ramis, J. Redondo, V. Sánchez‐Morcillo Universidad Politécnica Valencia / IGIC, Spain KM3NeT: Conceptual Design Report CONTENTS EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................. 11 1 INTRODUCTION .................................................................................... 13 1.1 Scientific Objectives of Neutrino Telescope ......................................................................... 13 1.2 Neutrino Detection Techniques .......................................................................................... 13 1.3 Water/Ice Neutrino Telescope Projects ............................................................................ 14 1.4 Neutrino Interactions and Event Signatures ........................................................................ 14 1.5 Backgrounds ....................................................................................................................... 16 1.6 Observable Sky ................................................................................................................... 17 1.7 Associated Science Projects ................................................................................................. 18 1.8 Structure of the Report ....................................................................................................... 18 2 SCIENCE CASE ..................................................................................... 21 2.1 Astroparticle and Particle Physics ........................................................................................ 21 2.1.1 Point Sources ....................................................................................................................... 22 2.1.2 Diffuse Neutrino Flux .......................................................................................................... 28 2.1.3 Dark Matter ......................................................................................................................... 31 2.1.4 Exotic Particles .................................................................................................................... 32 2.1.5 Atmospheric Muons and Neutrinos .................................................................................... 33 2.1.6 Neutrino Cross Sections ...................................................................................................... 33 2.2 Associated Science .............................................................................................................. 34 3 THE KM3NET CONCEPT ..................................................................... 37 4 NEUTRINO TELESCOPE DESIGN GOALS ........................................ 43 5 PILOT PROJECTS ................................................................................. 47 5.1 ANTARES ............................................................................................................................. 47 7 KM3NeT: Conceptual Design Report 5.2 NEMO ................................................................................................................................