Development of acoustic devices for ultra - high energy neutrino detectors

Acoustic neutrino detection is a promising approach to instrument the large detector volumes needed for the detection of the small neutrino fluxes expected at ultra-high energies (E 1 EeV). We report on several studies investigating the feasibility of such an acoustic detector. High-precision lab measurements using laser and proton beams aiming at the verification of the thermo-acoustic model have been performed. Different types of acoustic sensors have been developed and characterised. An autonomous acoustic system, attached to the ANTARES prototype string " Line0 " , has been deployed and operated successfully at 2400 m depth, allowing for in-situ studies of the acoustic background in the Mediterranean Sea.