The AMANDA Project: Drilling precise, large-diameter holes using hot water

The Antarctic Muon and Neutrino Detector Array (AMANDA) requires drilling of multiple hot-water holes 50cm in diameter to depths exceeding 1km. Strings of photo multiplier tubes 200m long are then lowered into these holes and allowed to freeze in. Since these holes must be vertical and parallel, drilling techniques and instrumentation to provide these conditions are discussed. Freeze-back rates in -50^oC ice and pressure developed during the freezing process are also considered. Additionally, adaptation of solar concentrators to minimize the use of large quantities of fuel is evaluated. Finally, the use of mechanical drilling to generate chips that are melted down hole is investigated as a means to speed up the drilling process and make uniform holes.