Question 30 from UPSC CSE 2015 - Science and Technology

Question

In the context of modern scientific research, consider the following statements about 'IceCube', a particle detector located at the South Pole, which was recently in the news:
1. It is the world's largest neutrino detector, encompassing a cubic kilometre of ice.
2. It is a powerful telescope to search for dark matter.
3. It is buried deep in the ice.
Which of the statements given above are correct?

Accepted Answer

Correct Option: D. 1, 2, and 3

Strategy: Identify factual descriptors: 'world's largest neutrino detector', 'buried deep in ice', 'cubic kilometer' – clear direct matches for Statements 1 and 3. Statement 2 – about searching for dark matter – can be inferred as correct, since such observatories often double as dark matter telescopes. Confirmation from current affairs corroborates all three statements.

Key Info: **IceCube Neutrino Observatory**
- **Purpose:** A large-scale particle detector at the South Pole designed to detect high-energy neutrinos.
- **Construction:** Comprises over 5,000 optical sensors embedded in a cubic kilometer of Antarctic ice, buried at depths of 1.5 km to 2.5 km.
- **Detection Method:** Uses the clear, dense ice to capture Cherenkov radiation from neutrino interactions.
- **Scale:** It is the world's largest neutrino detector.
- **Research Goals:**
  - Searches for neutrinos from astrophysical phenomena.
  - Contributes to dark matter research by detecting neutrinos from hypothetical particle annihilation or decay.
- **Design Benefits:** The deep-burial design shields sensors from background radiation and maximizes detection of rare events.
- **Impact:** Findings have advanced neutrino astronomy and contributed to multi-messenger astronomy by linking neutrinos to cosmic sources.
- **Management:** An international collaboration led by the University of Wisconsin–Madison, with support from the US National Science Foundation.

Answer

Option A: 1 only

Answer

Option B: 2 and 3 only

Answer

Option C: 1 and 3 only