An observatory embedded in the Antarctic ice has become the first in the world to detect high-energy neutrinos -- subatomic particles created by cataclysmic collisions. The Antarctic Muon and Neutrino Array (AMANDA) is one of the world's largest particle detectors, with 677 photodetectors buried deep within the ice beneath the South Pole.

AMANDA is designed to detect and track the path of neutrinos that have traveled from space and through the earth, from north to south. The earth filters out most other particles.

The March 22 issue of Nature reported the array's capability, as recently proven by its detection of high-energy neutrinos generated in the earth's atmosphere by cosmic rays striking the earth from space. This result establishes AMANDA as a working instrument capable of being the first to detect neutrinos emanating from violent cosmic phenomena billions of light-years away, such as colliding black holes, gamma-ray bursts and the wreckage of exploded stars.

"This is our coming-out party," said AMANDA team leader Robert Morse of the University of Wisconsin at Madison. "Now we start the process of discovery." [Amber Jones]

For more information see: http://www.news.wisc.edu/newsphotos/amanda.html