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Astrophysics, Relativity, and Cosmology Seminar - Abby Vieregg (UChicago, KICP) "The Recent Flight of the Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO)"

Speaker: Abby Vieregg (UChicago, KICP)
Date: 2/18/2026
Time: 11 a.m.
Location: Rhondale Tso Seminar Room, Loomis 236
Event Contact: Deanna Frye
ddebord@illinois.edu
Sponsor: Department of Physics
Event Type: Seminar/Symposium
 

The Payload for Ultrahigh Energy Observations (PUEO) is a NASA Astrophysics Pioneers Long Duration Balloon Mission, which recently launched from McMurdo Station in Antarctica on December 20, 2025 and flew for 23 days.  PUEO aims to detect the highest energy astrophysical and cosmogenic neutrinos, which is an important step toward understanding the most energetic cosmic accelerators. After giving a broader overview of the field, I will discuss PUEO’s science, the instrument, the flight, and the plans for analysis of data.