Enabling scientists to unlock insights into extreme cosmic phenomena such as black holes and supernovae
A new deep-sea neutrino detector is being developed, using precise positioning from underwater technology company Sonardyne, to transform our understanding of the universe
Several Sonardyne Fetch instruments will provide the precise, stable underwater positioning required by the 3,000m-deep Pacific Ocean Neutrino Experiment (P-ONE) to detect and analyse high-energy neutrinos.
P-ONE is a multinational, multi-institute scientific collaboration that will enable scientists to unlock insights into extreme cosmic phenomena such as black holes and supernovae.
The next-generation cosmic neutrino telescope will be built off the coast of British Columbia, Canada, utilising Ocean Networks Canada’s existing world-class advanced deep-sea infrastructure.
As well as exploring the universe, P-ONE will provide vital data for oceanography, climate science, and tectonic research, advancing astrophysics and marine biology.
Simon Fraser University (SFU), in British Columbia, is one of the project's collaborators and coordinates the array’s acoustic positioning.
Professor Matthias Danninger, principal investigator at SFU, said, "The P-ONE collaboration’s goal is to create a unique observational facility, as part of a global effort to improve our understanding of high-energy and ultra-high-energy cosmic neutrinos, their sources and their role in astro and particle physics.
"The positioning system is critical to its success. Critically, we need to know precisely where our detector is in the absolute geo-reference frame and also where each component is relative to each other at any time, as, although anchored, the ocean currents will move the detector lines constantly. With Sonardyne’s Fetch system, we'll achieve the precision we need and continuous monitoring to maintain alignment, safeguarding data integrity and enabling P-ONE to unlock insights into extreme cosmic phenomena."
The P-ONE detector will anchor a three-dimensional array of thousands of advanced optical sensors, creating a vast detection grid. These will detect the faint light (Cherenkov radiation) created when high-energy neutrinos interact with water molecules.
The P-ONE collaboration's objective is to build a full detector array capable of covering multiple square kilometres. The initial pilot array and a potential future full array will be connected to ONC’s existing cabled infrastructure, which spans thousands of kilometres in the Cascadia Basin.
The ONC infrastructure has enabled P-ONE to gain readily available power and data transmission capability for real-time monitoring and analysis.
Michelle Barnett, ocean science business development manager and Kim Swords, sales manager, Sonardyne, said, “We’re incredibly proud that our Fetch technology is playing a pivotal role in the P-ONE project, supporting international, collaborative science. By ensuring precise sensor positioning and stability, we will be enabling pioneering discoveries in cosmic phenomena and demonstrating how innovative underwater technology can advance global scientific research.”
Designed as a long-life autonomous seabed node, Fetch can operate for up to 10 years, making it suitable for extended deep-sea monitoring campaigns. Its design enables the integration of a variety of sensors, supporting everything from seabed deformation studies to broader ocean science.
With robust, deep-rated housing and seamless integration into Sonardyne’s positioning ecosystem, Fetch is a pivotal tool for advancing deep-sea research.
