Ultra-high energy (UHE) neutrinos, with energies exceeding $$10^{17}$$ eV, offer unique insights into cosmic accelerators and the origins of ultra-high energy cosmic rays. The Askaryan Radio Array (ARA) is designed to detect UHE neutrinos by capturing radio signals generated by their interactions within Antarctic ice. Observations from the South Pole Ice Core Experiment (SPICE) pulsing campaign revealed unexpected polarization effects in detected radio pulses transmitted through polar ice. This paper explores the impact of biaxial birefringence in South Pole ice on the polarization of SPICE pulses. We present a model that accounts for biaxial birefringence effects, showing how signal polarization can rotate during propagation through the ice. We show that the biaxial birefringence model can potentially explain the unexpected polarization results observed in SPICE data and highlight the need to validate the model to enhance future analyses and detector designs.Recommended citation: Alan Salcedo Gomez, Justin Flaherty, Amy Connolly, et al. Effects of Biaxial Birefringence on Polarization Reconstruction for the Askaryan Radio Array. PoS, ARENA2024:009, 2024
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