Status of the Baikal-GVD project

The construction of a km^3-scale neutrino telescope - the Gigaton Volume Detector (GVD) in Lake Baikal - is the central goal of the Baikal collaboration. During the R&D phase of the GVD project in 2008-2010 years the basic elements of GVD - new optical modules, FADC readout units, underwater communications and trigger systems - have been developed, produced and tested in situ by long-term operating prototype strings in Lake Baikal. The prototyping phase of the GVD project has been started in April 2011 with the installation of a three string array (prototype cluster) which comprises all basic elements and systems of the GVD-telescope in Lake Baikal. We describe configuration and technical design of the GVD, present selected results obtained during 2008-2010 with prototype strings, and describe configuration and design of the 2011 prototype cluster

Baikal-GVD: Results, status and plans

The future next-generation neutrino telescope Baikal-GVD will be a km3-scale array aimed at the detection of astrophysical neutrino fluxes. It will have modular structure and consist of functionally independent sub-arrays – clusters of strings of optical modules. The prototyping phase of the project has been concluded in 2015 with the deployment of the first cluster of Baikal-GVD in Lake Baikal. We discuss the current status and perspectives of the Baikal-GVD project

LED based calibration systems of the Baikal-GVD neutrino telescope

Baikal-GVD is a cubic-kilometer scale neutrino telescope, which is currently under construction in Lake Baikal. GVD will consist of an array of optical modules arranged in clusters of strings. The first GVD-cluster has been deployed and put in operation in April 2015. We describe equipment and methods for the calibration of the first GVD-cluster and discuss the accuracy of the calibration procedures

The optical detection unit for Baikal-GVD neutrino telescope

The first stage of the GVD-cluster composed of five strings was deployed in April 2014. Each string consists of two sections with 12 optical modules per section. A section is the basic detection unit of the Baikal neutrino telescope. We will describe the section design, review its basic elements - optical modules, FADC readout units, slow control and calibration systems, and present selected results for section in-situ tests in Lake Baikal

The optical module of Baikal-GVD

The Baikal-GVD neutrino telescope in Lake Baikal is intended for studying astrophysical neutrino fluxes by recording the Cherenkov radiation of the secondary muons and showers generated in neutrino interactions. The first stage of Baikal-GVD will be equipped with about 2300 optical modules. We describe the design of the optical module, the front-end electronics and the laboratory characterization and calibration before deployment

The optical module of Baikal-GVD

In April 2015, the first cluster of Baikal-GVD was deployed in Lake Baikal and put into operation. It comprises eight strings. Each string consists of 24 optical modules. An optical module is a detection element of Baikal-GVD, it includes a Hamamatsu R7081-100 photomultiplier tube with a high quantum sensitivity. We describe the design of the optical module, the front-end electronics, and the laboratory characterization and calibration

Status and perspectives of the BAIKAL-GVD project

The neutrino telescope Baikal-GVD in Lake Baikal will be a research infrastructure aimed mainly at studying astrophysical neutrino fluxes. The telescope will consist of clusters of strings – functionally independent sub-arrays. The deployment of the first demonstration cluster has been started in April 2013. In 2014 the deployment of the second stage of the demonstration cluster has been performed. We describe the configuration and design of the first GVD cluster and review the current status of cluster deployment in Lake Baikal

Status and perspectives of the BAIKAL-GVD project

The neutrino telescope Baikal-GVD in Lake Baikal will be a research infrastructure aimed mainly at studying astrophysical neutrino fluxes. The telescope will consist of clusters of strings - functionally independent sub-arrays. The deployment of the first demonstration cluster has been started in April 2013. In 2014 the deployment of the second stage of the demonstration cluster has been performed. We describe the configuration and design of the first GVD cluster and review the current status of cluster deployment in Lake Baikal