Towards a Five Station Analysis of Askaryan Radio Array*

The quest for the detection of ultra-high energy (E_ν ≥ 10¹⁶ eV) cosmogenic and astrophysical neutrinos has been pursued by several experiments over the last two decades. The Askaryan Radio Array (ARA), located at the South Pole, was one of the first two experiments that used radio antennas sensitive to orthogonal polarizations for detection of neutrino-induced Askaryan radiation. ARA comprises five autonomous stations which were deployed at a depth of 100-200 m over the period 2012-2018, corresponding to a total lifetime of 24 station years. In this contribution, we present the status of a first-ever array-wide analysis effort, including improved calibration, antenna specific noise and gain models, better noise rejection methods, and enhanced signal and trigger efficiencies. We expect to produce the most sensitive result on the neutrino flux by any existing in-ice neutrino experiment above an energy of 100 PeV.