Companion Experiments
TAMBO
The Tau Air Shower Mountain-Based Observatory (TAMBO) is a valley-based experiment dedicated to detecting Earth-skimming ultra-high-energy (UHE) astrophysical tau neutrinos. The principal scientific goals of TAMBO are to: search for astrophysical neutrino sources, characterize the flux of neutrinos above 10 PeV, and constrain the flavor ratio of astrophysical neutrinos at ultra high energies.
TAMBO will be the first neutrino-based experiment to utilize the deep valley detector concept. Tau neutrinos that skim the Earth’s surface can interact in rock and produce a tau lepton. If this happens in the vicinity of a deep valley, the tau can exit into the air, decay and produce an extensive air shower [see figure below]. TAMBO plans to observe this air-shower by placing an array of particle detectors on the opposite side of the valley from where the tau emerges.
In June 2025, TAMBO received a grant from the Templeton Foundation to begin constructing TAMBITO, a prototype array comprising 500 panels (with plans to ultimately deploy more than 5,000). As a result, there are now many opportunities to contribute to hardware development, background simulations, initial reconstruction pipelines, and more. If you’re interested in joining a new and exciting experiment, consider becoming part of TAMBO!
Links for more information:
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2507.08070
https://arxiv.org/pdf/2308.09753
KM3NeT
KM3NeT is a deep-sea neutrino observatory currently under construction in the Mediterranean Sea. It is designed to detect high-energy astrophysical neutrinos and to study fundamental neutrino properties using large volumes of instrumented seawater. The principal scientific goals of KM3NeT are to: identify and study astrophysical neutrino sources, measure the diffuse cosmic neutrino flux, and determine the neutrino mass ordering through precision measurements of atmospheric neutrinos.
KM3NeT employs a three-dimensional array of optical sensors deployed at depths of 2–3 km, where the surrounding seawater serves as both the neutrino interaction medium and a natural shield against background radiation. When a neutrino interacts in or near the detector, it produces charged secondary particles that emit Cherenkov light as they propagate through the water. This light is detected by digital optical modules arranged along vertical detection units anchored to the seafloor, allowing the direction, energy, and flavor of the incoming neutrino to be reconstructed.
The detector consists of two complementary components. ARCA (Astroparticle Research with Cosmics in the Abyss), located off the coast of Sicily, is optimized for the detection of TeV–PeV astrophysical neutrinos and provides excellent angular resolution for neutrino astronomy. ORCA (Oscillation Research with Cosmics in the Abyss), located off the coast of France, is a denser array tailored for studying atmospheric neutrinos in the GeV range and resolving the neutrino mass ordering. Our group’s work focuses on ARCA. We were recently involved in the interpretation of KM3-230213A, the highest energy neutrino ever detected, discussing its place in the global neutrino landscape and exploring possible BSM implications.
KM3NeT is already taking data with partial configurations and has demonstrated competitive performance in neutrino reconstruction and background rejection. Ongoing construction and data-taking offer a wide range of research opportunities, including detector calibration, reconstruction and analysis development, simulations, and multi-messenger astrophysics.
Links and recent publications for more information:
https://www.nature.com/articles/s41586-024-08543-1
https://journals.aps.org/prx/abstract/10.1103/yypk-zmb8
https://www.nature.com/articles/s42005-025-02347-z