Deep sea tests of a prototype of the KM3NeT digital optical module

S. Adrián-Martínez; M. Ageron; F. Aharonian; S. Aiello; A. Albert; F. Ameli; E. G. Anassontzis; M. Anghinolfi; G. Anton; S. Anvar; M. Ardid; R. de Asmundis; K. Balasi; H. Band; G. Barbarino; E. Barbarito; F. Barbato; B. Baret; S. Baron; A. Belias; E. Berbee; A. M. van den Berg; A. Berkien; V. Bertin; S. Beurthey; V. van Beveren; N. Beverini; S. Biagi; S. Bianucci; M. Billault; A. Birbas; H. Boer Rookhuizen; R. Bormuth; V. Bouché; B. Bouhadef; G. Bourlis; M. Bouwhuis; C. Bozza; R. Bruijn; J. Brunner; G. Cacopardo; L. Caillat; M. Calamai; D. Calvo; A. Capone; L. Caramete; F. Caruso; S. Cecchini; A. Ceres; R. Cereseto; C. Champion; F. Château; T. Chiarusi; B. Christopoulou; M. Circella; L. Classen; R. Cocimano; S. Colonges; R. Coniglione; A. Cosquer; M. Costa; P. Coyle; A. Creusot; C. Curtil; G. Cuttone; C. D’Amato; A. D’Amico; G. De Bonis; G. De Rosa; N. Deniskina; J.-J. Destelle; C. Distefano; C. Donzaud; D. Dornic; Q. Dorosti-Hasankiadeh; E. Drakopoulou; D. Drouhin; L. Drury; D. Durand; T. Eberl; C. Eleftheriadis; D. Elsaesser; A. Enzenhöfer; P. Fermani; L. A. Fusco; D. Gajana; T. Gal; S. Galatà; F. Gallo; F. Garufi; M. Gebyehu; V. Giordano; N. Gizani; R. Gracia Ruiz; K. Graf; R. Grasso; G. Grella; A. Grmek; R. Habel; H. van Haren; T. Heid; A. Heijboer; E. Heine; S. Henry; J. J. Hernández-Rey; B. Herold; M. A. Hevinga; M. van der Hoek; J. Hofestädt; J. Hogenbirk; C. Hugon; J. Hößl; M. Imbesi; C. James; P. Jansweijer; J. Jochum; M. de Jong; M. Kadler; O. Kalekin; A. Kappes; E. Kappos; U. Katz; O. Kavatsyuk; P. Keller; G. Kieft; E. Koffeman; H. Kok; P. Kooijman; J. Koopstra; A. Korporaal; A. Kouchner; S. Koutsoukos; I. Kreykenbohm; V. Kulikovskiy; R. Lahmann; P. Lamare; G. Larosa; D. Lattuada; H. Le Provost; A. Leisos; D. Lenis; E. Leonora; M. Lindsey Clark; A. Liolios; C. D. Llorens Alvarez; H. Löhner; D. Lo Presti; F. Louis; E. Maccioni; K. Mannheim; K. Manolopoulos; A. Margiotta; O. Mariş; C. Markou; J. A. Martínez-Mora; A. Martini; R. Masullo; T. Michael; P. Migliozzi; E. Migneco; A. Miraglia; C. Mollo; M. Mongelli; M. Morganti; S. Mos; Y. Moudden; P. Musico; M. Musumeci; C. Nicolaou; C. A. Nicolau; A. Orlando; A. Orzelli; K. Papageorgiou; A. Papaikonomou; R. Papaleo; G. E. Păvălaş; H. Peek; C. Pellegrino; M. G. Pellegriti; C. Perrina; C. Petridou; P. Piattelli; K. Pikounis; V. Popa; Th. Pradier; M. Priede; G. Pühlhofer; S. Pulvirenti; C. Racca; F. Raffaelli; N. Randazzo; P. A. Rapidis; P. Razis; D. Real; L. Resvanis; J. Reubelt; G. Riccobene; A. Rovelli; J. Royon; M. Saldaña; D. F. E. Samtleben; M. Sanguineti; A. Santangelo; P. Sapienza; I. Savvidis; J. Schmelling; J. Schnabel; M. Sedita; T. Seitz; I. Sgura; F. Simeone; I. Siotis; V. Sipala; M. Solazzo; A. Spitaleri; M. Spurio; G. Stavropoulos; J. Steijger; T. Stolarczyk; D. Stransky; M. Taiuti; G. Terreni; D. Tézier; S. Théraube; L. F. Thompson; P. Timmer; H. I. Trapierakis; L. Trasatti; A. Trovato; M. Tselengidou; A. Tsirigotis; S. Tzamarias; E. Tzamariudaki; B. Vallage; V. Van Elewyck; J. Vermeulen; P. Vernin; S. Viola; D. Vivolo; P. Werneke; L. Wiggers; J. Wilms; E. de Wolf; R. H. L. van Wooning; K. Yatkin; K. Zachariadou; E. Zonca; J. D. Zornoza; J. Zúñiga; A. Zwart

doi:10.1140/epjc/s10052-014-3056-3

2020 Impact factor 4.590

Particles and Fields

Open Access

Eur. Phys. J. C (2014) 74: 3056
https://doi.org/10.1140/epjc/s10052-014-3056-3

Regular Article - Experimental Physics

KM3NeT Collaboration

S. Adrián-Martínez¹, M. Ageron², F. Aharonian³, S. Aiello⁴, A. Albert⁵, F. Ameli⁶, E. G. Anassontzis⁷, M. Anghinolfi⁸, G. Anton⁹, S. Anvar¹⁰, M. Ardid¹, R. de Asmundis¹¹, K. Balasi¹², H. Band¹³, G. Barbarino¹¹^,14, E. Barbarito¹⁵, F. Barbato¹¹^,14, B. Baret¹⁶, S. Baron¹⁶, A. Belias¹²^,17, E. Berbee¹³, A. M. van den Berg¹⁸, A. Berkien¹³, V. Bertin², S. Beurthey², V. van Beveren¹³, N. Beverini¹⁹^,20, S. Biagi²¹^,22, S. Bianucci²⁰, M. Billault², A. Birbas²³, H. Boer Rookhuizen¹³, R. Bormuth¹³^,24, V. Bouché⁶^,25, B. Bouhadef²⁰, G. Bourlis²³, M. Bouwhuis¹³, C. Bozza¹⁴^,26, R. Bruijn¹³^,27, J. Brunner², G. Cacopardo²⁸, L. Caillat², M. Calamai²⁰, D. Calvo³⁰, A. Capone²⁵, L. Caramete³¹, F. Caruso²⁸, S. Cecchini²¹^,22, A. Ceres¹⁵, R. Cereseto⁸, C. Champion¹⁶, F. Château¹⁰, T. Chiarusi²¹, B. Christopoulou²³, M. Circella¹⁵, L. Classen⁹, R. Cocimano²⁸, S. Colonges¹⁶, R. Coniglione²⁸, A. Cosquer², M. Costa²⁸, P. Coyle², A. Creusot¹⁶, C. Curtil², G. Cuttone²⁸, C. D’Amato²⁸, A. D’Amico²⁸, G. De Bonis⁶, G. De Rosa¹¹^,14, N. Deniskina¹¹, J.-J. Destelle², C. Distefano²⁸, C. Donzaud¹⁶^,29, D. Dornic², Q. Dorosti-Hasankiadeh¹⁸, E. Drakopoulou¹², D. Drouhin⁵, L. Drury³, D. Durand¹⁰, T. Eberl⁹, C. Eleftheriadis³², D. Elsaesser³³, A. Enzenhöfer⁹, P. Fermani⁶^,25, L. A. Fusco²¹^,22, D. Gajana¹³, T. Gal⁹, S. Galatà¹⁶, F. Gallo², F. Garufi¹¹^,14, M. Gebyehu¹³, V. Giordano⁴, N. Gizani²³, R. Gracia Ruiz¹⁶, K. Graf⁹, R. Grasso²⁸, G. Grella¹⁴^,26, A. Grmek²⁸, R. Habel³⁴, H. van Haren³⁵, T. Heid⁹, A. Heijboer¹³, E. Heine¹³, S. Henry², J. J. Hernández-Rey³⁰, B. Herold⁹, M. A. Hevinga¹⁸, M. van der Hoek¹³, J. Hofestädt⁹, J. Hogenbirk¹³, C. Hugon⁸, J. Hößl⁹, M. Imbesi²⁸, C. James⁹, P. Jansweijer¹³, J. Jochum³⁶, M. de Jong¹³^,24, M. Kadler³³, O. Kalekin⁹, A. Kappes⁹, E. Kappos⁷^,12, U. Katz⁹, O. Kavatsyuk¹⁸, P. Keller², G. Kieft¹³, E. Koffeman¹³^,27, H. Kok¹³, P. Kooijman¹³^,27^,37^*, J. Koopstra¹³, A. Korporaal¹³, A. Kouchner¹⁶, S. Koutsoukos¹⁷, I. Kreykenbohm³⁸, V. Kulikovskiy⁸, R. Lahmann⁹, P. Lamare², G. Larosa²⁸, D. Lattuada²⁸, H. Le Provost¹⁰, A. Leisos²³, D. Lenis²³, E. Leonora⁴, M. Lindsey Clark¹⁶, A. Liolios³², C. D. Llorens Alvarez¹, H. Löhner¹⁸, D. Lo Presti⁴^,39, F. Louis¹⁰, E. Maccioni¹⁹, K. Mannheim³³, K. Manolopoulos⁷^,12, A. Margiotta²¹^,22, O. Mariş³¹, C. Markou¹², J. A. Martínez-Mora³⁰, A. Martini³⁴, R. Masullo⁶^,25, T. Michael¹³, P. Migliozzi¹¹, E. Migneco²⁸, A. Miraglia²⁸, C. Mollo¹¹, M. Mongelli¹⁵, M. Morganti²⁰, S. Mos¹³, Y. Moudden¹⁰, P. Musico⁸, M. Musumeci²⁸, C. Nicolaou⁴⁰, C. A. Nicolau⁶, A. Orlando²⁸, A. Orzelli⁸, K. Papageorgiou⁴¹, A. Papaikonomou¹²^,23, R. Papaleo²⁸, G. E. Păvălaş³¹, H. Peek¹³, C. Pellegrino²⁸, M. G. Pellegriti²⁸, C. Perrina⁶^,25, C. Petridou³², P. Piattelli²⁸, K. Pikounis¹², V. Popa³¹, Th. Pradier⁴², M. Priede⁴³, G. Pühlhofer³⁶, S. Pulvirenti²⁸, C. Racca⁵, F. Raffaelli²⁰, N. Randazzo⁴, P. A. Rapidis¹²^,17, P. Razis⁴⁰, D. Real³⁰, L. Resvanis⁷^,17, J. Reubelt⁹, G. Riccobene²⁸, A. Rovelli²⁸, J. Royon², M. Saldaña¹, D. F. E. Samtleben¹³^,24, M. Sanguineti⁴⁴, A. Santangelo³⁶, P. Sapienza²⁸, I. Savvidis³², J. Schmelling¹³, J. Schnabel⁹, M. Sedita²⁸, T. Seitz⁹, I. Sgura¹⁵, F. Simeone⁶, I. Siotis¹², V. Sipala⁴, M. Solazzo², A. Spitaleri²⁸, M. Spurio²¹^,22, G. Stavropoulos¹², J. Steijger¹³, T. Stolarczyk⁴⁵, D. Stransky⁹, M. Taiuti⁸^,44, G. Terreni²⁰, D. Tézier², S. Théraube², L. F. Thompson⁴⁶, P. Timmer¹³, H. I. Trapierakis¹²^,17, L. Trasatti⁴², A. Trovato²⁸, M. Tselengidou⁹, A. Tsirigotis²³, S. Tzamarias²³, E. Tzamariudaki¹², B. Vallage¹⁶^,45, V. Van Elewyck¹⁶, J. Vermeulen¹³, P. Vernin⁴⁵, S. Viola²⁸, D. Vivolo¹¹^,14, P. Werneke¹³, L. Wiggers¹³, J. Wilms³⁸, E. de Wolf¹³^,27, R. H. L. van Wooning¹⁸, K. Yatkin², K. Zachariadou⁴⁷, E. Zonca¹⁰, J. D. Zornoza³⁰, J. Zúñiga³⁰ and A. Zwart¹³

¹ Instituto de Investigación para la Gestión Integrada de las Zonas Costeras, Universitat Politècnica de València, Gandia, Spain
² CPPM, Aix-Marseille Université, CNRS/IN2P3, Marseille, France
³ DIAS, Dublin, Ireland
⁴ INFN, Sezione di Catania, Catania, Italy
⁵ GRPHE, Université de Haute Alsace, IUT de Colmar, Colmar, France
⁶ INFN, Sezione di Roma, Rome, Italy
⁷ Deparment of Physics, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Athens, Greece
⁸ INFN, Sezione di Genova, Genoa, Italy
⁹ Erlangen Centre for Astroparticle Physics, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Erlangen, Germany
¹⁰ CEA, Irfu/Sedi, Centre de Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
¹¹ INFN, Sezione di Napoli, Naples, Italy
¹² Institute of Nuclear Physics, NCSR “Demokritos”, Athens, Greece
¹³ Nikhef, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
¹⁴ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università ‘Federico II’, Naples, Italy
¹⁵ INFN, Sezione di Bari, Bari, Italy
¹⁶ APC,Université Paris Diderot, CNRS/IN2P3, CEA/IRFU Observatoire de Paris, Sorbonne Paris Cité, 75205, Paris, France
¹⁷ NESTOR Institute for Deep Sea Research, Technology, and Neutrino Astroparticle Physics, National Observatory of Athens, Pylos, Greece
¹⁸ KVI-CART, University of Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
¹⁹ INFN, Sezione di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
²⁰ Dipertimento di Fisica, Università di Pisa, Pisa, Italy
²¹ INFN, Sezione di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
²² Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Universitá di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
²³ School of Science and Technology, Hellenic Open University, Patras, Greece
²⁴ Leiden Institute of Physics, Leiden University, Leiden, The Netherlands
²⁵ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Roma La Sapienza, Rome, Italy
²⁶ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Salerno, Fisciano, Italy
²⁷ Institute of Physics, University of Amsterdam, Amsterdam, The Netherlands
²⁸ INFN, Laboratori Nazionali del Sud, Catania, Italy
²⁹ Université Paris-Sud, 91405, Orsay Cedex, France
³⁰ IFIC-Instituto de Física Corpuscular, (CSIC-Universitat de València), Valencia, Spain
³¹ Institute of Space Science, Bucharest, Romania
³² Aristotle University Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki, Greece
³³ University Würzburg, Würzburg, Germany
³⁴ INFN, Laboratori Nazionali di Frascati, Frascati, Italy
³⁵ NIOZ, Texel, The Netherlands
³⁶ Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
³⁷ Utrecht University, Utrecht, The Netherlands
³⁸ Dr. Remeis Sternwarte, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, Bamberg, Germany
³⁹ Dipartimento di Fisica ed Astronomia, Università di Catania, Catania, Italy
⁴⁰ Physics Department, University of Cyprus, Nicosia, Cyprus
⁴¹ University of Aegean, Athens, Greece
⁴² IPHC, CNRS/IN2P3, Strasbourg, France
⁴³ Oceanlab, University of Aberdeen, Aberdeen, UK
⁴⁴ Dipartimento di Fisica, Università di Genova, Genoa, Italy
⁴⁵ CEA, Irfu/SPP, Centre de Saclay, Gif-sur-Yvette, France
⁴⁶ Department of Physics and Astronomy, University of Sheffield, Sheffield, UK
⁴⁷ Technological Education Institute of Pireaus, Piraeus, Greece

^* e-mail: h84@nikhef.nl

Received: 26 May 2014
Accepted: 22 August 2014
Published online: 26 September 2014

Abstract

The first prototype of a photo-detection unit of the future KM3NeT neutrino telescope has been deployed in the deep waters of the Mediterranean Sea. This digital optical module has a novel design with a very large photocathode area segmented by the use of 31 three inch photomultiplier tubes. It has been integrated in the ANTARES detector for in-situ testing and validation. This paper reports on the first months of data taking and rate measurements. The analysis results highlight the capabilities of the new module design in terms of background suppression and signal recognition. The directionality of the optical module enables the recognition of multiple Cherenkov photons from the same K decay and the localisation of bioluminescent activity in the neighbourhood. The single unit can cleanly identify atmospheric muons and provide sensitivity to the muon arrival directions.

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