Speakers
Description
The IceCube Neutrino Observatory, a neutrino detector located at the South Pole, has recently added six new strings equipped with optical modules and dedicated calibration devices to the central region of the existing array as part of the IceCube Upgrade, completed in early 2026. Among this new instrumentation is a camera-based calibration system, a novel addition deployed on all primary optical detector units. This system is designed to study the optical properties of the ice, which have historically been a dominant source of systematic uncertainty in IceCube analyses.
The Upgrade Camera Calibration System will leverage pre- and post-deployment data to characterize the ice properties, which will subsequently be used for detector calibration. Images acquired during freeze-in record the evolution of the hole ice, the formation of bubble columns, and the positioning of other detector components. In addition, images of neighboring strings probe the optical characteristics of the inter-string bulk ice, which constitutes the majority of the detector fiducial volume. This poster presents results derived from the analysis of in situ camera images, focusing on the hole ice formation, freeze-in dynamics, and bulk ice properties. We also discuss their impact on systematic uncertainties related to event reconstruction.