The Power Board of the KM3NeT Digital Optical Module: design, upgrade, and production

The KM3NeT Collaboration is building an underwater neutrino observatory at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea consisting of two neutrino telescopes, both composed of a three-dimensional array of light detectors, known as digital optical modules. Each digital optical module contains a set of 31 three inch photomultiplier tubes distributed over the surface of a 0.44 m diameter pressure-resistant glass sphere. The module includes also calibration instruments and electronics for power, readout and data acquisition. The power board was developed to supply power to all the elements of the digital optical module. The design of the power board began in 2013, and several prototypes were produced and tested. After an exhaustive validation process in various laboratories within the KM3NeT Collaboration, a mass production batch began, resulting in the construction of over 1200 power boards so far. These boards were integrated in the digital optical modules that have already been produced and deployed, 828 until October 2023. In 2017, an upgrade of the power board, to increase reliability and efficiency, was initiated. After the validation of a pre-production series, a production batch of 800 upgraded boards is currently underway. This paper describes the design, architecture, upgrade, validation, and production of the power board, including the reliability studies and tests conducted to ensure the safe operation at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea throughout the observatory's lifespa

KM3NeT broadcast optical data transport system

The optical data transport system of the KM3NeT neutrino telescope at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea will provide more than 6000 optical modules in the detector arrays with a point-to-point optical connection to the control stations onshore. The ARCA and ORCA detectors of KM3NeT are being installed at a depth of about 3500 m and 2500 m, respectively and their distance to the control stations is about 100 kilometers and 40 kilometers. In particular, the two detectors are optimised for the detection of cosmic neutrinos with energies above about 1 TeV (ARCA) and for the detection of atmospheric neutrinos with energies in the range 1 GeV-1 TeV (ORCA). The expected maximum data rate is 200 Mbps per optical module. The implemented optical data transport system matches the layouts of the networks of electro-optical cables and junction boxes in the deep sea. For efficient use of the fibres in the system the technology of Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing is applied. The performance of the optical system in terms of measured bit error rates, optical budget are presented. The next steps in the implementation of the system are also discussed

Probing invisible neutrino decay with KM3NeT-ORCA

In the era of precision measurements of the neutrino oscillation parameters, upcoming neutrino experiments will also be sensitive to physics beyond the Standard Model. KM3NeT/ORCA is a neutrino detector optimised for measuring atmospheric neutrinos from a few GeV to around 100 GeV. In this paper, the sensitivity of the KM3NeT/ORCA detector to neutrino decay has been explored. A three-flavour neutrino oscillation scenario, where the third neutrino mass state $\nu_3$ decays into an invisible state, e.g. a sterile neutrino, is considered. We find that KM3NeT/ORCA would be sensitive to invisible neutrino decays with $1/\alpha_3=\tau_3/m_3 < 180$~$\mathrm{ps/eV}$ at $90\%$ confidence level, assuming true normal ordering. Finally, the impact of neutrino decay on the precision of KM3NeT/ORCA measurements for $\theta_{23}$, $\Delta m^2_{31}$ and mass ordering have been studied. No significant effect of neutrino decay on the sensitivity to these measurements has been found.Comment: 27 pages, 14 figures, bibliography updated, typos correcte

Prospects for combined analyses of hadronic emission from γ\gamma-ray sources in the Milky Way with CTA and KM3NeT

The Cherenkov Telescope Array and the KM3NeT neutrino telescopes are major upcoming facilities in the fields of $\gamma$-ray and neutrino astronomy, respectively. Possible simultaneous production of $\gamma$ rays and neutrinos in astrophysical accelerators of cosmic-ray nuclei motivates a combination of their data. We assess the potential of a combined analysis of CTA and KM3NeT data to determine the contribution of hadronic emission processes in known Galactic $\gamma$-ray emitters, comparing this result to the cases of two separate analyses. In doing so, we demonstrate the capability of Gammapy, an open-source software package for the analysis of $\gamma$-ray data, to also process data from neutrino telescopes. For a selection of prototypical $\gamma$-ray sources within our Galaxy, we obtain models for primary proton and electron spectra in the hadronic and leptonic emission scenario, respectively, by fitting published $\gamma$-ray spectra. Using these models and instrument response functions for both detectors, we employ the Gammapy package to generate pseudo data sets, where we assume 200 hours of CTA observations and 10 years of KM3NeT detector operation. We then apply a three-dimensional binned likelihood analysis to these data sets, separately for each instrument and jointly for both. We find that the largest benefit of the combined analysis lies in the possibility of a consistent modelling of the $\gamma$-ray and neutrino emission. Assuming a purely leptonic scenario as input, we obtain, for the most favourable source, an average expected 68% credible interval that constrains the contribution of hadronic processes to the observed $\gamma$-ray emission to below 15%.Comment: 18 pages, 15 figures. Submitted to journa

Searches for neutrinos in the direction of radio-bright blazars with the ANTARES telescope

Active galaxies, especially blazars, are among the most promising neutrino source candidates. To date, ANTARES searches for these objects considered GeV-TeV $\gamma$-ray bright blazars. Here, a statistically complete radio-bright blazar sample is used as the target for searches of origins of neutrinos collected by the ANTARES neutrino telescope over 13 years of operation. The hypothesis of a neutrino-blazar directional correlation is tested by pair counting and by a complementary likelihood-based approach. The resulting post-trial $p$-value is $3.0\%$ ($2.2\sigma$ in the two-sided convention), possibly indicating a correlation. Additionally, a time-dependent analysis is performed to search for temporal clustering of neutrino candidates as a mean of detecting neutrino flares in blazars. None of the investigated sources alone reaches a significant flare detection level. However, the presence of 18 sources with a pre-trial significance above $3\sigma$ indicates a $p=1.4\%$ ($2.5\sigma$ in the two-sided convention) detection of a time-variable neutrino flux. An \textit{a posteriori} investigation reveals an intriguing temporal coincidence of neutrino, radio, and $\gamma$-ray flares of the J0242+1101 blazar at a $p=0.5\%$ ($2.9\sigma$ in the two-sided convention) level. Altogether, the results presented here suggest a possible connection of neutrino candidates detected by the ANTARES telescope with radio-bright blazars

Antioxidant Activity and Total Phenolic and Flavonoid Contents of 30 Medicinal and Aromatic Plants Located in the South of Morocco

In this study, antioxidant activity, total phenolic and total flavonoid contents of 30 species extracts, from 15 botanical families grown on three localities (Agdz, Tafraout and Taroudannt) of Souss Massa Draa (Southern Morocco), were determined using spectrophotometric methods. DPPH radical cation assay was used for evaluation of free radical scavenging properties of investigated species. The results showed a remarkable high antioxidant activity in the majority of tested plants, especially in Tetraclinis articulata, Thymus leptobotrys, and Lavandula stoechas, which neutralized up to 90 % of DPPH radicals. However, Conyza canadensis showed the lowest antioxidant value (88.19%). The total phenolics content measured by Folin-Ciocalteu method, ranged from 2.54 to 55.62 microg of gallic acid equivalents (GAE)/mg of dry matter (DM). Ceratonia siliqua (55.63 microg GAE /mg), Cistus villosus (41.10 microg GAE /mg), Limoniastrum feei (36.52 microg GAE /mg) and Rubus ulmifolius (35.02 microg GAE /mg) had very high levels of phenolics, whereas in Conyza canadensis (2.54 microg GAE /mg) phenolics were quit low. For total flavonoids content, two methods were used. Spectrophotmoetric method using NEU reagent showed a significant levels of flavonoids in Inula viscosa (70.08 microg/mg), Globularia alypum (66.28 microg/mg), Teucrium chamaedrys (63.95 microg/mg), Ruta montana (59.9 microg/mg) and Ononis natrix (55.49 microg/mg). For the second method with aluminium trichloride (AlCl3), the amounts of total flavonoid expressed as rutin equivalents/g DM, were higher in Rubus ulmifolius (117.79 microg/mg), Ononis natrix (80.84 microg/mg), Rhus pentaphulla (67.67 microg/mg), Thymus leptobotrys (53.17 microg/mg) and Thymus satureioides (52.34 microg/mg). According to this method Mentha pulegium exhibited the lowest flavonoids concentration (9.46 microg/mg), while the first method revealed low levels of flavonoids content in Conyza canadensis (5.41 microg/mg)

Measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters with the first six detection units of KM3NeT/ORCA

International audienceKM3NeT/ORCA is a water Cherenkov neutrino detector under construction and anchored at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. The detector is designed to study oscillations of atmospheric neutrinos and determine the neutrino mass ordering. This paper focuses on an initial configuration of ORCA, referred to as ORCA6, which comprises six out of the foreseen 115 detection units of photo-sensors. A high-purity neutrino sample was extracted, corresponding to an exposure of 433 kton-years. The sample of 5828 neutrino candidates is analysed following a binned log-likelihood method in the reconstructed energy and cosine of the zenith angle. The atmospheric oscillation parameters are measured to be $\sin^2\theta_{23}= 0.51^{+0.04}_{-0.05}$, and $\Delta m^2_{31} = 2.14^{+0.25}_{-0.35}\times 10^{-3}~\mathrm{eV^2} \cup \{-2.25,-1.76\}\times 10^{-3}~\mathrm{eV^2}$ at 68% CL. The inverted neutrino mass ordering hypothesis is disfavoured with a p-value of 0.25

First observation of the cosmic ray shadow of the Moon and the Sun with KM3NeT/ORCA

This article reports the first observation of the Moon and the Sun shadows in the sky distribution of cosmic-ray induced muons measured by the KM3NeT/ORCA detector. The analysed data-taking period spans from February 2020 to November 2021, when the detector had 6 Detection Units deployed at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea, each composed of 18 Digital Optical Modules. The shadows induced by the Moon and the Sun were detected at their nominal position with a statistical significance of 4.2 σ and 6.2 σ , and an angular resolution of σres= 0. 49 ∘ and σres= 0. 66 ∘ , respectively, consistent with the prediction of 0. 53 ∘ from simulations. This early result confirms the effectiveness of the detector calibration, in time, position and orientation and the accuracy of the event direction reconstruction. This also demonstrates the performance and the competitiveness of the detector in terms of pointing accuracy and angular resolution

Measurement of neutrino oscillation parameters with the first six detection units of KM3NeT/ORCA

International audienceKM3NeT/ORCA is a water Cherenkov neutrino detector under construction and anchored at the bottom of the Mediterranean Sea. The detector is designed to study oscillations of atmospheric neutrinos and determine the neutrino mass ordering. This paper focuses on an initial configuration of ORCA, referred to as ORCA6, which comprises six out of the foreseen 115 detection units of photo-sensors. A high-purity neutrino sample was extracted, corresponding to an exposure of 433 kton-years. The sample of 5828 neutrino candidates is analysed following a binned log-likelihood method in the reconstructed energy and cosine of the zenith angle. The atmospheric oscillation parameters are measured to be $\sin^2\theta_{23}= 0.51^{+0.04}_{-0.05}$, and $\Delta m^2_{31} = 2.14^{+0.25}_{-0.35}\times 10^{-3}~\mathrm{eV^2} \cup \{-2.25,-1.76\}\times 10^{-3}~\mathrm{eV^2}$ at 68% CL. The inverted neutrino mass ordering hypothesis is disfavoured with a p-value of 0.25

Legacy Results of the ANTARES Neutrino Telescope

The ANTARES neutrino telescope was operational in the Mediterranean Sea from 2006 to 2022. The detector array, consisting of 12 vertical string-like structures hosting a total of 885 optical modules, was designed to detect high-energy neutrinos covering energies from a few tens of GeV up to the PeV range. Despite the relatively small size of the detector, the results obtained are relevant in the field of neutrino astronomy, due to the view of the Southern sky and the good angular resolution of the telescope. This document will give an overview of the legacy results of ANTARES, including searches for point sources, neutrinos from the Galactic Ridge, from dark matter annihilation, and from transients, as well as limits on new physics