Status and strategies of current LUNASKA lunar Cherenkov observations with the Parkes radio telescope

• Published in: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment Vol. 662; pp. S95 - S98
• Main Authors: Bray, J.D., Ekers, R.D., Roberts, P., Reynolds, J.E., James, C.W., Phillips, C.J., McFadden, R.A., Protheroe, R.J., Aartsen, M., Alvarez-Muñiz, J.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier B.V 11-01-2012
• Subjects: Coherent radio emission; Detectors–telescopes; Lunar Cherenkov technique; UHE neutrino detection; UHE neutrino flux limits; Coherent radio emission; Lunar Cherenkov technique; UHE neutrino flux limits; Detectors–telescopes; UHE neutrino detection
• ISSN: 0168-9002; 1872-9576
• DOI: 10.1016/j.nima.2010.10.139

LUNASKA (Lunar UHE Neutrino Astrophysics with the Square Kilometre Array) is an ongoing project conducting lunar Cherenkov observations in order to develop techniques for detecting neutrinos with the next generation of radio telescopes. Our current observing campaign is with the 64-metre Parkes radio telescope, using a multibeam receiver with 300
MHz of bandwidth from 1.2 to 1.5
GHz. Here we provide an overview of the various factors that must be considered in the signal processing for such an experiment. We also briefly describe the flux limits which we expect to set with our current observations, including a directional limit for Centaurus A.