A water Cherenkov detector prototype for future high-energy tau-neutrino experiment

Abstract

The detection of high-energy tau neutrinos remains a critical challenge in neutrino astronomy, limited by inadequate angular resolution and sensitivity in current detectors like IceCube and KM3NeT. We present a modular water Cherenkov detector prototype optimized for tau-neutrino-induced extensive air showers (EAS) in the 1-100 PeV range, leveraging canyon terrain for natural cosmic-ray shielding. Laboratory validation demonstrates this prototype design has high detection efficiency (>99%) and timing resolution (<2 ns) on MIP particles, enabling precise tau-neutrino-induced EAS reconstruction for future study. The results establish a foundation of a low-cost, scalable neutrino observatory, advancing flavor ratio measurements and cosmic-ray origin problems.