Speaker
Description
Astrophysical cosmic-ray accelerators capable of reaching ultra-high energies (UHEs) may produce very-high energy (VHE) neutrinos due to interactions of the cosmic rays within their sources or their surrounding environments. Suborbital and space-based optical Cherenkov detectors search for upward-moving extensive air showers generated by decaying tau-leptons produced by the interactions of >~ 10 PeV cosmic tau neutrinos within the Earth. The Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a Super Pressure Balloon II mission (EUSO-SPB2) was a balloon-borne mission to observe the fluorescence and optical Cherenkov signals of extensive air showers generated by cosmic rays and neutrinos. It launched from Wanaka, New Zealand on May 13, 2023 with a flight duration of 1 day, 12 hours, and 53 minutes. In this talk, we discuss the Target-of-Opportunity observation program of EUSO-SPB2 and set the stage for the upcoming flight of the POEMMA-Balloon with Radio (PBR) mission (launch planned in 2027).
