A water Cherenkov detector prototype for future high-energy tau-neutrino experiment

Abstract

The detection of high-energy tau neutrinos (${\nu }_{\tau }$) remains a critical challenge in neutrino astronomy, limited by inadequate angular resolution and sensitivity in current detectors like IceCube and KM3NeT. We present a modular water Cherenkov detector prototype optimized for ${\nu }_{\tau }$-induced extensive air showers (EAS) in the 1–100 PeV range, leveraging canyon terrain for natural cosmic-ray shielding. Laboratory validation demonstrates this prototype design has high detection efficiency ($>$99%) and timing resolution ($<$2 ns) on MIP particles, enabling precise ${\nu }_{\tau }$-induced EAS reconstruction for future study. The results establish a foundation of a low-cost, scalable neutrino observatory, advancing flavor ratio measurements and cosmic-ray origin problems.