KM3NeT: Current performances and outlook for particle and astroparticle physics

KM3NeT is a research infrastructure of two neutrino telescopes under construction in the depths of the Mediterranean Sea. We present an overview of the technology and of the scientific results with its ARCA and ORCA detectors in partial configuration. Different in their scientific scope, the two detectors are based on the same design, with vertical detection units hosting optical modules equipped with multiple photomultiplier tubes for the detection of the Cherenkov light produced by neutrino-induced charged particles crossing the instrumented volume. For reconstruction of the position of the optical modules, a dedicated system is designed with acoustic beacons and piezo sensors hosted in the optical modules. With the first six detection units of ORCA, the shadows of the Sun and the Moon in the flux of cosmic rays are clearly seen. A large total photocathode area for the fully completed telescopes yields good expectations for sensitivity to a broad range of interesting physics and astrophysics phenomena. With partial configurations of ORCA, oscillations of atmospheric neutrinos across the Earth are detected and measured with improving precision. The results of the search for pointlike sources, the measurement of diffuse neutrino flux and the search for Dark matter with partial detector configurations are increasingly competitive. In 2023, the KM3-230213A event occurred in ARCA’s fiducial volume, with the highest energy for a neutrino to date. Data for this event and possible interpretations and explanations are summarized.