Researchers at the University of Wisconsin will operate a special particle detector in the South Pole, thanks to a partnership with the National Science Foundation.

The five-year, $34.5 million grant will allow UW to operate the neutrino detector, which has been under construction since 2004, said IceCube Project Director Jim Yeck.

Neutrinos are small particles that do not have charges, Yeck said, which makes them perfect for creating sky maps.

“[Neutrinos] can pass through everything,” Yeck said. “You know the angle that it came from, you know exactly where it came from.”

Through its ability to detect neutrinos, the device will be able to explore the universe.

Once neutrinos are found, the data needs to be transferred via satellite to the northern hemisphere and processed, Yeck said. Processing the data is a way to verify the data

Currently in the last phase of construction, UW helped construct the detector, which is why Yeck feels the NSF gave UW the most responsibility in operating the detector, he said.

The detector looks for neutrinos using photo sensors and ice. Yeck said the photo sensors are deployed into holes in the ice on cables where they then pick up on neutrino interactions.

What makes the partnership so unique is the fact UW will have the most responsibility out of all the collaborators, Yeck said.

According to a statement released by the NSF, more than 36 institutions are working together at the IceCube Neutrino Observatory. In addition to the NSF, Germany, Belgium and Sweden also contributed funds.

Dana Topousis, NSF spokesperson, said the project has “a huge potential” to not only make a breakthrough with neutrinos but also to build lasting relationships through collaboration with other countries.

Yeck said he believes the NSF asked UW to take the lead because of the quality work UW did in constructing the detector, and the honor has not gone unnoticed.

“It’s a lot of responsibility to coordinate the effort by a large distributed group of collaborators. It’s a lot of money – we’re directly responsible and accountable to the NSF,” Yeck said. “It says UW has that kind of capability… and talent that enables us to do this.”