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Opening a new window on the violent Universe with the Hybrid Elevated Radio Observatory for Neutrinos

Objective

Measuring ultra-high energy neutrinos, with energies above 10^16 eV, is the next frontier of the emerging multi-messenger era. Because they travel undeflected and are daughter particles of the highest energy cosmic rays, these neutrinos directly probe the most extreme phenomena in the Universe. They are the crucial missing piece in an astronomy gathering multiwavelength radiation, gravitational waves and lower energy neutrinos. Their detection requires building a large-scale detector with 10 times the instantaneous sensitivity of current instruments, sub-degree angular resolution, and wide daily field of view. The Hybrid Elevated Radio Observatory for Neutrinos (HERON), will be that discovery instrument. Our project brings together four experts in complementary areas and a vital partner in Argentina. HERON leverages the best features of two leading-edge radio techniques demonstrated by team members in the BEACON and GRAND prototypes, and builds on the successful large-scale Auger Observatory. It consists of 24 compact, elevated phased stations with 24 antennas each, embedded in a sparse array of 360 standalone antennas. This design tunes the energy threshold to below 100 PeV, where the neutrino flux should be high. The exquisite sensitivity of the phased stations combines with the powerful reconstruction capacities of the standalone antennas to produce an optimal detector. Over six years, we will install and commission HERON at 1,000 m elevation across a 72 km mountain range overlooking a valley in Argentina's San Juan province. We will connect it to the worldwide network of multimessenger observatories and search for neutrino bursts from candidate sources of cosmic rays, like gamma-ray bursts and other powerful transients. With HERON's deep sensitivity, this strategy targets discoveries that cast new light into the inner workings of the most violent astrophysical sources at yet uncharted energies.

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Topic(s)

Funding Scheme

HORIZON-ERC-SYG - HORIZON ERC Synergy Grants

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Call for proposal

(opens in new window) ERC-2025-SyG

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Host institution

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS
Net EU contribution
€ 7 550 951,26
Address
RUE MICHEL ANGE 3
75794 Paris
France
Region
Ile-de-France Ile-de-France Paris
Activity type
Research Organisations
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Total cost
€ 7 550 951,26

Beneficiaries (4)

Partners (1)