... Areas to Watch in 2014

摘要

Space ghosts. This year, physicists finally detected elusive particles called neutrinos coming from beyond our solar system. Now, the question is whether they will prove to be a useful tool for probing the uni- verse. The observations from IceCube, a massive array of particle detectors sunk into 1 cubic kilometer of ice at the South Pole, completed a 40-year quest for cosmic neutrinos. But IceCube's main aim is to pinpoint their sources in the sky and usher in the field of neutrino astronomy, and it remains to be seen if it can collect enough of the ghostly particles for that. The IceCube team's first earnest attempt to map the neutrino sky should come within months, so scientists may soon know whether the array is big enough to serve as a neutrino telescope or whether something more is needed.