PUEO

The Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO) mission is a balloon-borne payload which will fly over Antarctica. The balloon gondola will carry an array of radio frequency (RF) receivers, designed to measure RF signals from neutrinos passing through the Antarctic ice sheet. It is based on the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA), though PUEO will use much more powerful detectors. PUEO was selected by NASA for funding under the Pioneers Program. and is led by the University of Chicago, with instrument and gondola elements developed and supported by a number of institutions. The initial month-long flight is planned for December 2024 during austral summer for near-continuous daylight and reliable circumpolar wind patterns around Antarctica. The balloon will be launch from McMurdo Station’s Long Duration Balloon Facility.

Ultra-high energy neutrinos interact with ice, producing radio emissions through the Askaryan Effect. A stratospheric balloon can observe the entire Antarctic icesheet providing an exceedingly large detector volume. These measurements are best at the highest energies (>1018 eV) and complement ground-based detectors such as IceCube which are attuned to lower energy neutrinos. PUEO will also measure extensive air showers (EAS) from ultra-high energy cosmic rays interacting with the upper atmosphere.

The PUEO data will be delivered and hosted by the HEASARC.