Professor Mary Hall Reno has been awarded a $225,229 grant from NASA for the EUSO-SPB2 (Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a Super Pressure Balloon 2nd generation) project.

The award "EUSO-SPB2 (Extreme Universe Space Observatory on a Super Pressure Balloon 2nd generation) from flight to science results”  is from NASA Astrophysics Research and Analysis via the University of Chicago. Angela Olinto, the University of Chicago Albert A. Michelson Distinguished Service Professor of Astronomy and Astrophysics, is the principal investigator for the project.

EUSO-SPB2 has a fluorescence telescope to detect cosmic ray interactions in the air, and an optical Cherenkov telescope to detect light from air showers that come from neutrino signals. The University of Iowa team’s focus is on performing simulations and determining the scientific capabilities of the optical Cherenkov telescope. A goal of the EUSO-SPB2 project using this telescope is to detect neutrinos from extremely energetic events like the merger of two neutron stars. The telescopes will also provide proofs-of-concept for follow-up missions.

See this University of Chicago news story for more information about the EUSO-SPB2 project.