Search arXiv⌕ Search
Home/Archive/arXiv

arXiv · 2610.35675

The design and flight of the Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO)

PUEO Collaboration·Q. Abarr·S. Agarwal·J. Alfaro·S. Ali·P. Allison·J. Alvarez-Muñiz·T. Anderson·H. Barnett·A. Basharina-Freshville·J. J. Beatty·L. Beaufore·D. Z. Besson·M. Betts·R. Bose·D. Braun·B. Chamanbahar·P. Chen·Y. Chen·J. M. Clem·T. Coakley·A. Connolly·K. Couberly·L. Cremonesi·A. Cummings·P. Dasgupta·C. Deaconu·J. Flaherty·C. Godden·P. W. Gorham·C. Hornhuber·J. Hoffman·K. Hughes·A. Hynous·A. Jung·A. M. Kofman·Y. Ku·D. Kullgren·C. -Y. Kuo·P. Linton·L. Lisalda·T. C. Liu·W. Luszczak·S. C. Mackey·Z. Martin·K. McBride·C. Miki·J. Nam·D. A. Newmark·R. J. Nichol·A. Novikov·A. Nozdrina·E. Oberla·H. Pumphrey·D. Radomski·B. F. Rauch·R. Scrandis·D. Seckel·M. F. H. Seikh·J. Shiao·G. Simburger·J. Tutt·A. G. Vieregg·S. -H. Wang·D. Washington·C. Welling·P. Windischhofer·S. A. Wissel·C. Xie·J. Yao·R. Young·E. Zas·A. Zeolla
View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

Sources of cosmic rays at ultrahigh energies (UHE, $\gtrsim$ 1 EeV) are anticipated to give rise to neutrinos at similar energies by production via propagation interactions either within the source region or on cosmological scales. Measurements of the neutrino flux, flavor, and energy provide significant insight into those underlying processes governing UHE cosmic ray acceleration and propagation. Detecting neutrinos at these energies requires immense detector volumes due to their low predicted flux. We present the balloon-borne mission PUEO (Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations) which is an antenna array designed to detect the Askaryan emission from UHE neutrino interactions in the Antarctic ice. This paper reports on the design considerations and implementations for constructing PUEO, from the design parameters to the as-built validations.

Explore related subjects

astro-ph.HEastro-ph.IMhep-ex

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

PUEO Collaboration, Q. Abarr, S. Agarwal, J. Alfaro, S. Ali, P. Allison, J. Alvarez-Muñiz, T. Anderson, H. Barnett, A. Basharina-Freshville, J. J. Beatty, L. Beaufore, D. Z. Besson, M. Betts, R. Bose, D. Braun, B. Chamanbahar, P. Chen, Y. Chen, J. M. Clem, T. Coakley, A. Connolly, K. Couberly, L. Cremonesi, A. Cummings, P. Dasgupta, C. Deaconu, J. Flaherty, C. Godden, P. W. Gorham, C. Hornhuber, J. Hoffman, K. Hughes, A. Hynous, A. Jung, A. M. Kofman, Y. Ku, D. Kullgren, C. -Y. Kuo, P. Linton, L. Lisalda, T. C. Liu, W. Luszczak, S. C. Mackey, Z. Martin, K. McBride, C. Miki, J. Nam, D. A. Newmark, R. J. Nichol, A. Novikov, A. Nozdrina, E. Oberla, H. Pumphrey, D. Radomski, B. F. Rauch, R. Scrandis, D. Seckel, M. F. H. Seikh, J. Shiao, G. Simburger, J. Tutt, A. G. Vieregg, S. -H. Wang, D. Washington, C. Welling, P. Windischhofer, S. A. Wissel, C. Xie, J. Yao, R. Young, E. Zas, A. Zeolla. 2026-10-26. The design and flight of the Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO). https://arxiv.org/abs/2610.35675

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related papers

arXiv2026

Redshift Classification of Optical Gamma-Ray Bursts using Supervised Learning

Modern satellite missions localize many gamma-ray bursts (GRBs), but spectroscopic redshifts remain scarce because rapid optical follow-up is often unavailable. Optical plateau classification differs fundamentally from its X-ray counterpart: heterogeneous ground-based follow-up, dust extinction, and chromatic afterglow behavior introduce greater incompleteness than in the X-ray data. We present a supervised machine-learning classification of long-duration GRBs (duration $>$ 2 s) with measured redshifts and possessing optical plateau emission. As predictors, we combine plateau and prompt-emission observables. Using 171 such GRBs, we evaluate binary classification --- whether a GRB is high- or low-$z$ --- at thresholds $z_t = 2.0, 2.5$, and $3.0$. The best classifier, at $z_t = 2.0$, achieves a training-set true positive rate (TPR) of 0.741 and an area under the curve (AUC) of 0.841, with a train-to-test AUC difference within 4 percent. The novelty of this work is a classifier built on an optical-plateau-selected sample. Prompt-emission and absorption variables are favored over plateau parameters at $z_t = 2.0$ on the raw (complete-case) data with the Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO), thus allowing a reliable classifier without waiting for the plateau signatures in the light curve. The X-ray absorption column density, $\log(\mathrm{NH})$, and the prompt-emission peak flux, $\log(\mathrm{PeakFlux})$, are stably selected by both the optical and X-ray classifiers. We publicly release a web-based application for the optical classifier, complementing the available X-ray classifier \citep{dainotti2025grbredshiftclassifierfollowup}, to help the community rapidly select high-$z$ GRBs for follow-up.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2026

On the assessment of the disk truncation and detection of type-II-like bursts from the accreting millisecond X-ray Pulsar IGR J17062-6143

We present a spectral analysis of the NuSTAR and NICER observations of the accreting millisecond X-ray pulsar IGR J17062-6143, performed in 2022. The source remained in the hard spectral state during these observations, with a luminosity of about $\sim$0.13-0.14 percent of the Eddington luminosity. The continuum emission of the NuSTAR spectrum is entirely dominated by a power-law component or by Comptonized emission of disc photons by a plasma with a high electron temperature ($\gtrsim100$ keV). The NuSTAR spectrum also reveals clear evidence of disc reflection, a broad Fe K line around 6-8 keV, and a Compton hump peaking at 20 keV, irrespective of the choice of the continuum models. Our spectral studies suggest a disk extending close to the neutron star surface ($\sim$6-20 $R_{\rm g}$) at low inclination angle ($\sim41$ degrees), as revealed by the self-consistent relativistic reflection model, relxill. In addition, we detected type-II-like bursts for the first time in the NICER observation of this source. Light curve profiles of type-II-like bursts exhibit different patterns, mostly associated with the so-called mode-0 and transition from mode-0 to mode-1 type-II bursts. The energy spectra of the persistent (pre-burst) and burst emission are well described by an absorbed Comptonization component, scattering disk- and blackbody-distributed photons, respectively, by a corona with a temperature of 1-3 keV. Although the origin of the type-II-like burst is not very clear, it has been possibly linked to disk-magnetosphere interaction of the accretion flow.

astro-ph.HE↗
arXiv2026

A Similarity Theorem and Its Breakdown in Atomic Black Hole Accretion

Inferring black-hole mass and growth from radiation processed by dense atomic gas requires connecting the emitting atmosphere to its feeding flow. We derive an exact similarity for point-mass accretion and use its limits to identify spectral information and dynamical consistency tests. At fixed temperature and composition, scaling mass, radius, and time together while scaling density inversely preserves the dimensionless flow, optical depths, and normalized spectra within a specified class of two-body microphysics, radiation, and boundary laws. Luminosity scales with mass, and the full atomic cooling curve is retained. Within this class the fixed-velocity power-law rescaling is unique. Density-sensitive populations and thermal radiation break the symmetry; public models of Little Red Dots illustrate the resulting density information. Even with luminosity and density normalization known, a prescribed spherical inflow retains an exact degeneracy between central mass and inward drift. A proposed feeding model nevertheless supplies growth and inventory tests. For point-mass Bondi feeding at fixed ambient sound speed, luminosity and its conversion to retained growth determine the ratio of adjustment to growth time independently of black-hole mass. For the critical isothermal Bondi profile with full retention, comparable times require gas mass comparable to the hole's mass. More generally, steady spherical continuity links luminosity and gas transit time to a required reservoir mass and minimum radial column. Lower retention slows growth while leaving this inventory unchanged at fixed supply and transit time.

astro-ph.HE↗