Detection of cosmic high energy neutrinos

Abstract

High energy neutrino astronomy at last seems to be nearing reality, after nearly three decades of speculation and initial experimental work. This review summarizes the experimental goals, energy regime for first attempts, scale size needed, and detection techniques. A short review of past and present underground detectors is followed by a summary of 12 relevant current proposals and projects for > 10000 m 2 muon collecting area instruments. By the end of the decade there are likely to be several such new generation instruments in operation. The business of high energy neutrino astrophysics will, hopefully, be underway by the turn of the century.