Ten
years ago, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory fully opened its eyes for
the first time, the eyes that allow curious scientists to “see” signals from
passing astrophysical neutrinos: mysterious, tiny, extremely lightweight
particles created by some of the most energetic and distant phenomena in the
cosmos. IceCube is a gigantic three-dimensional detector for high energy cosmic
rays, whose origins remained unknown, after they were discovered over a century
ago.
South Dakota Mines associate
professor of physics, Xinhua Bai, Ph.D., is among the original “dreamers,” which included a few dozen
scientists, who helped start the international IceCube Collaboration. Today, the
diverse group of researchers includes over 350 scientists from 53 institutions
in 12 countries and five continents.
“I was extremely lucky to be one of the early
scientists on this collaboration. After I received my Ph.D., driven by my
curiosity, I started as a winter over scientist for the Antarctic
Muon And Neutrino Detector Array and the South Pole Air Shower Experiment in 1998.” Bai says. “The...