The Askar'yan effect and detection of extremely high energy neutrinos in the lunar regolith and salt

The origin of the highest energy cosmic rays is an ongoing puzzle in particle astrophysics. Most models for the production of these cosmic rays also predict a flux of extremely high energy (EHE) neutrinos. Gurgen Askar'yan proposed an effect whereby EHE neutrinos could be detected in the radio frequencies. In this dissertation I present the results of beamtests at the Stanford Linear Accelerator Center (SLAG) demonstrating the properties of the Askar'yan effect. I then describe the Goldstone Lunar Ultra-high energy neutrino Experiment (GLUE) which searches for radio pulses from EHE neutrinos in the lunar regolith. The experiment sees no signals consistent with EHE neutrinos in 123 hours of livetime, and sets an upper limit on EHE neutrinos from topological defects models. I also describe concept studies for a possible radio neutrino detector in a salt formation, which could detect neutrinos from EHE cosmic rays interacting with the cosmic microwave background.