SPATS - an acoustic array at the South Pole

The detection of extraterrestrial EHE neutrinos requires detection volumes at least one order of magnitude larger than currently constructed km(3) optical neutrino detectors. In ice, it is anticipated that the absorption length for acoustic waves reaches up to to several kilometers. This makes ice an attractive host environment for a next generation acoustic neutrino detector. To measure the acoustic properties of ice at South Pole, a test setup has been developed, ready to be deployed in the 2006/07 summer season