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High-energy cosmic rays and neutrinos are among the most
energetic particles in the Universe, reaching energies far beyond those
achievable in human-made accelerators. Their study is a central area of
particle astrophysics, as these particles carry information about extreme and
often extragalactic environments. Neutrinos play a particularly important
role because they can travel vast distances through space and matter with
little interaction, providing a direct view of their cosmic sources.
A promising approach to observing such rare high energy particles is through
radio signals produced when they interact in dense dielectric media. In this
talk, I will introduce the basic ideas behind radio detection and the extreme
energy scales (above 30 PeV) explored by experiments such as the Askaryan
Radio Array (ARA) at the South Pole, the upcoming NASA balloon mission
PUEO over Antarctica, and the under-construction radio extension of the
GRAPES-3 experiment in Ooty, India. I will then present my research
contributions, spanning detector calibration, simulation, and data analysis,
including my field deployment experience at Summit Station, Greenland,
where radio antennas were installed approximately 150 meters below the ice
surface to detect high energy neutrinos. I will conclude by describing how
these efforts improve sensitivity to rare events and enhance the discovery
potential for extragalactic sources of the highest-energy particles in the
Universe. |