Students to interact with South Pole scientists

Schoolchildern will be able to interact with scientists stationed in the South Pole as the Nehru Science Centre here is all set to host an event which includes a virtual visit to the IceCube, the Neutrino Observatory in Antarctica.

The programme is planned to be held on January 13. It is being organised in collaboration with IceCube and Wisconsin IceCube Particle Astrophysics Center, United States.

“Due to Antarctica and US time difference with India, this event will take place from 7.30 pm to 9:30 pm on the day of event. This event is happening first time in Asia,” said officials of the Nehru Science Centre.

The IceCube is designed to observe the cosmos. Encompassing a cubic kilometre of ice, IceCube searches for nearly massless subatomic particles called neutrinos.

These high-energy particles provide information to probe the most violent astrophysical sources: Events like exploding stars, gamma-ray bursts, and cataclysmic phenomena involving black holes and neutron stars.

The IceCube was designed as a multipurpose experiment, allowing researchers to address several big questions in physics, like the nature of dark matter and the properties of the neutrino itself.

IceCube also observes cosmic rays that interact with the Earth’s atmosphere, which have revealed fascinating structures that are not presently understood.