Instrumentation of a new direction sensitive segmented optical module

An efficiency increase in the intermediate energy region for an underwater neutrino telescope could be an important development to gain better sensitivity in the study of the physical processes concerning the deep universe and to have a useful tool for better detector calibration with atmospheric neutrinos. A new, direction sensitive, segmented optical module (OM) is under development in Genova, in the framework of the NEMO [1] experiment, part of the KM3NET [2] European network. According to preliminary simulations, this kind of device can—together with a dedicated track reconstruction strategy—improve by a significant factor the telescope sensitivity at low and intermediate energies. This OM will feature a newly developed 10 in. Hamamatsu 4-anode photomultiplier (PMT) coupled to dedicated electronics to be integrated in the NEMO readout chain. The first directional OMs will be installed at the NEMO test site during the preliminary phase of the experiment.