KM3NeT - ORCA

ORCA is operational

8 March 2019 – Last month, the KM3NeT team of CPPM, Marseille together with the ship crews successfully installed an ORCA detection unit. It was the first unit connected to the refurbished main electro-optical cable to shore. After a few weeks of technology tests, the unit is given free for physics runs. ORCA is operational!

Unfortunately, after the deployment of one unit, the winch of the heavy lift line failed and three other units could not be deployed. They will be deployed during the next sea campaign.

In the mean time, KM3NeT researchers have taken up the duty of 24/7 shifts overlooking proper functioning of the detection units at both the ORCA and ARCA site. It is a pleasure to watch good quality data streaming to shore.

Pictures below: Four detection units in their deployment mode on deck of RV Castor (left), the package with the detection unit hanging on the heavy weight lift line just above the water surface (middle) and a plot of the signals that a down-going muon particle leaves in the detection unit: height vs the time of the recorded light signals (right).

The KM3NeT/ORCA neutrino detector is coming online

On 22 September 2017, after a two day long sea operation, the first detection unit of the ORCA neutrino telescope came online. This marks an important milestone of the scientific and technological endeavour of the international KM3NeT Collaboration.

KM3NeT/ORCA detector coming on-line

First detection unit of the KM3NeT/ORCA neutrino detector online

Last week, an extensive sea operation took place to deploy several elements of the KM3NeT/ORCA detector at the KM3NeT-Fr site, about 40 km offshore from Toulon. Amongst them, the first detection unit of ORCA comprising 18 optical modules, spaced at 9 m along a 200 m high vertical neutrino detection line. The deployment and connection of the detection unit was performed with the aid of a surface vessel and a Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) operated from a second boat.

The detection unit, wound around its spherical launching frame, was carefully lowered to the seafloor 2437 m below. Thanks to a state-of-the-art acoustic positioning system, the package was deployed within two metres of its designated position. Read more

Poster prize for ORCA in an emerging research field

22 July 2016 – The KM3NeT Collaboration congratulates Simon Bourret, Astroparticle and Cosmology, Paris with the award of one of the Best Poster Prizes for his poster presented at the International ISAPP Summer Institute, 11-21 July in L’Aquila, Italy.

During 10 days at the Gran Sasso Science Institute, young physicists, geophysicists, and geologists exchanged knowledge and skills with the aim to shape an emerging inter-disciplinary field of geoscience research using methodologies from (astro)particle physics.

In his poster with the title ‘Earth Tomography with KM3NeT/ORCA’ Simon showed the potential of the ORCA detector for imaging the interior of the Earth using neutrinos penetrating the globe.

The idea is to use the ‘matter-effect’ that for neutrinos traversing the Earth will modify the pattern of oscillating from one neutrino type into another. Using this ‘matter-effect’ and studying the angular and energy distribution of these neutrinos, tomographic information of the Earth interior can be provided. In particular, ORCA may contribute to constraining the chemical composition of Earth layers that are not accessible for direct geophysical measurements. A new research field is emerging!

Poster prize

12 July 2016 – The KM3NeT Collaboration congratulates João Coelho, Astroparticle and Cosmology, Paris with the award of one of the Nature Poster Prizes at the Neutrino 2016 conference, 4-9 July in London. The jury selected his poster with the title Probing new physics with atmospheric neutrinos at KM3NeT-ORCA out of more than 400 poster presentations!

With his poster, João presented the prospects of searching with the ORCA detector for new physics phenomena, such as sterile neutrinos and non-standard interactions, using atmospheric neutrinos. Among its highlights were animations presented as flipbooks and also available here. Following the award ceremony, the posters were presented in five minute summary talks in the plenary sessions.

Deployment of detection units

KM3NeT 2.0 – ARCA and ORCA

10 May 2015: KM3NeT has defined the next step in the realisation of the research infrastructure in the deep seas of the Mediterranean: KM3NeT2.0 to conduct Astroparticle & Oscillations Resreach with Cosmics in the Abyss with ARCA and ORCA.More in the KM3NeT-Strategy Report 2015-05-06.