Title: Probing the UHE Universe with PUEO
Abstract: The ultrahigh energy (UHE) universe is an elusive target from a measurement standpoint. Above 10^15eV, gamma rays get attenuated with background photon fields. UHE cosmic rays can reach higher energies (~10^20eV) before attenuation but lack pointing capabilities to give information about their sources.
This leaves UHE neutrinos as ideal messengers to tell us about the highest energy, densest environments in the universe. The Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO) is a NASA long duration balloon mission that flew over Antarctica during the austral summer of 2025/26. For 23 days, PUEO searched for impulsive radio signals originating from UHE neutrino interactions and UHECR air showers. Boasting an order of magnitude increase in sensitivity over its predecessor ANITA, PUEO is the most sensitive instrument to UHE neutrinos ever built. This talk will cover the science goals of PUEO, the design of the instrument, its recent Antarctic campaign, and the various science searches currently underway using the collected data.
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