The design of the optical modules of the KM3NeT-Italia project towers

Abstract

The KM3NeT-Italia project aims to construct a large volume underwater neutrino telescope, to be installed in the depths of the Mediterranean Sea. The R&D and mass production phases of the detection elements of the telescope, the optical modules, were entirely performed in the INFN-LNS site in the harbour of Catania. In November 2014 a first tower of 14 storeys equipped with 84 optical modules was successfully deployed in the Mediterranean Sea site. The design of the optical modules and their main components are described in this paper.