Neutrinos are elementary particles that are produced in radioactive (beta) decay, in nuclear power plants, in processes within the sun, and in violent astrophysical events like supernovae. It is the second most abundant particle in the universe. There are about 100 neutrinos per cubic centimeter even in the most remote parts of the universe, which were created in the Big Bang. It is also the least understood of the known elementary particles. Neutrinos only interact with other elementary particle via the so called weak nuclear force, as it doesn’t have any electrical charge.

The IceCube experiment consists of one cubic kilometer of ice containing thousands of round detector modules with a diameter of 33 cm. Every module has a photomultiplier tube and some electronics. The experiment is structured in 86 drilled holes, with the detection modules submerged between 1500 and 2500 meters below the surface of the ice at the south pole. Scientists from NBI are a part of the international team of more than 300 researchers,  who work with the IceCube telescope.