Speaker
Description
Earth-skimming tau neutrinos with energies above ~10 PeV can convert to tau leptons and decay in the atmosphere, initiating upward-going extensive air showers. POEMMA Balloon with Radio (PBR) is designed to measure these showers via a novel hybrid of optical Cherenkov and low-frequency radio measurements. The ability to point the detector above and below the limb will allow the observation technique to be validated on the much more abundant cosmic ray signal. While the integrated exposure and resultant sensitivity to the diffuse neutrino flux will not be competitive with that of long-term ground-based experiments that can run for decades, the instantaneous acceptance will be comparable. This, combined with the ability to point at specific targets of opportunity, will allow PBR to set competitive limits in response to astrophysical transients. PBR will fly on a NASA super pressure balloon for as long as 50 days, with a launch planned for 2028. This contribution will describe the payload, its current status and its expected capabilities.
