Status of the South Pole Acoustic Test Setup

Due to the low flux of ultra-high energetic neutrinos induced in interactions of cosmic rays with the cosmic microwave background, very large instrumented volumes and new registration techniques are necessary for their detection. The south polar ice offers the unique opportunity to implement existing Cherenkov techniques as well as registration of radio and acoustic waves from the neutrino interaction. A simulation of a ~ 120 km³ hybrid optical/radio/acoustic detector showed that event rates of ~ 10 per year can be achieved. In this simulation the ultrasonic parameters of antarctic ice regarding absorption, scattering and environmental noise pose the key uncertainty. To evaluate the acoustic properties in-situ, the South Pole Acoustic Test Setup (SPATS) has been created. An array of custom-made ultrasonic sensors and transmitters will be deployed on three strings in the upper 400 m of the holes of the IceCube experiment. The status of the experiment and a first evaluation of its performance are presented here.