KM3NeT is a scientific infrastructure that will accommodate the next generation of neutrino telescopes. These telescopes, when finished, will be capable of detecting neutrinos in volumes of clear seawater ranging from several cubic kilometres to megatons. Located in the deepest parts of the Mediterranean Sea, KM3NeT will provide an unprecedented view of the Universe and contribute significantly to the study of elusive neutrino particles.
With the use of the ARCA (Astroparticle Research with Cosmics in the Abyss) telescope, KM3NeT scientists aim to identify neutrinos from distant astrophysical sources like supernovae, gamma ray bursts, or colliding stars.
The ORCA (Oscillation Research with Cosmics in the Abyss) telescope, on the other hand, is designed for studying neutrino properties using neutrinos generated in the Earth’s atmosphere.
Using arrays of thousands of optical sensors, scientists will detect the faint light in the deep sea that results from collisions between the neutrinos and the Earth’s charged particles. The infrastructure will also include instrumentation for long-term and online monitoring of the deep sea environment and the seabed at depths of several kilometers, useful for Earth and Sea sciences research.
KM3NeT Naples takes care of the production and integration of the ARCA experiment and is the only group that covers all steps of integration: photomultipliers, base modules, digital optical modules, calibration and detection units assemblage.