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Abstract: The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the major ground-based gamma-ray observatory planned for the next decade and beyond. Consisting of two large atmospheric Cherenkov telescope arrays (one in the southern hemisphere and one in the northern hemisphere), CTA will have superior angular resolution, a much wider energy range, and approximately an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity, as compared to existing instruments. The CTA science programme will be rich and diverse, covering cosmic particle acceleration, the astrophysics of extreme environments, and physics frontiers beyond the Standard Model. This paper outlines the science goals for CTA and covers the current status of the project.
Keywords: very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), cosmic particle acceleration, astrophysics of extreme environments, physics beyond the Standard Model
Published in RUNG: 11.10.2023; Views: 564; Downloads: 7
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Abstract: With data on the depth of maximum Xmax collected during more than a decade of operation of the Pierre Auger Observatory, we report on the inferences on the mass composition of UHECRs in the energy range E = 10[sup]17.2 − 10[sup]19.6 eV and on the measurements of the proton-air cross section for energies up to 10[sup]18.5 eV. We also present the results on Xmax obtained using the information on the particle arrival times recorded by the SD stations allowing us to extend the Xmax measurements up to 10[sup]20 eV. The inferences on mass composition, in particular using the data of the SD, are subject to systematic uncertainties due to uncertainties in the description of hadronic interactions at ultra-high energies. We discuss this problem with respect to the properties of the muonic component of extensive air-showers as derived from the SD data.
Keywords: ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs), extensive air showers (EAS), EAS muonic component, EAS electromagnetic component, Pierre Auger Observatory, UHECR mass composition, UHECR hadronic interactions
Published in RUNG: 11.10.2023; Views: 640; Downloads: 8
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Abstract: The Pierre Auger Observatory has been very successful in determining many aspects of the highest-energy cosmic rays including, among others, the flux suppression at energies above 4 × 10[sup]19 eV, stringent upper limits on photon and neutrino fluxes at ultra-high energies and an unexpected evolution of the mass composition with energy. We expect an extension of the frontiers of our knowledge on these aspects from a major upgrade of the Observatory. The upgrade, known as AugerPrime, will include an addition of a 4 sq. m Surface Scintillator Detector atop each water-Cherenkov station of the Surface array. The new detectors will provide us with an unprecedented opportunity to perform a complementary measurement of the shower particles and thus determine the primary mass composition with good accuracy on an event-by-event basis. AugerPrime will also include an upgrade of electronics, installation of the AMIGA Underground Muon Detector and a change of observation mode of the Fluorescence Detector, which will increase its current duty cycle by about 50%. Current status of the upgrade with the main focus on the Surface Scintillator Detectors will be presented, following a brief description of the physics motivation for the upgrade.
Keywords: ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs), Pierre Auger Observatory, AugerPrime upgrade
Published in RUNG: 11.10.2023; Views: 878; Downloads: 5
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Abstract: The Telescope Array (TA) is the largest ultra-high energy cosmic ray (UHECR) observatory in the Northern Hemisphere. Together with the TA Low Energy Extension (TALE), TA×4, and TALE infill detector, the TA measures the properties of UHECR-induced extensive air showers (EAS) in the energy region from 10^15 eV to over 10^20 eV. Each of these uses a hybrid system with an array of scintillators to sample the footprint of the EAS at the Earth’s surface along with telescopes that measure the fluorescence and Cherenkov light from the EAS. The statistics at the highest energies are being enhanced with the TA×4 detector, half completed but still under construction, which will quadruple the surface detector area with telescopes. The TALE infill surface detectors were recently deployed to further lower the hybrid energy threshold of TALE. We present the status of the experiment and recent results on the energy spectrum, mass composition, and anisotropy, including new features in the energy spectrum at about 10^19.2 eV and in the UHECR arrival direction anisotropy.
Keywords: Telescope Array, TALE, low energy extension, TAx4, indirect detection, hybrid detection, ground array, surface detection, fluorescence detection, cerenkov light, ultra-high energy, cosmic rays, energy spectrum, composition, anisotropy
Published in RUNG: 10.10.2023; Views: 594; Downloads: 6
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Abstract: Ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) are extremely energetic, charged particles with energies greater than 10^18 eV, originating from outer space. We investigate anisotropic patterns in the arrival direction distribution of UHECRs to identify their source locations. The Telescope Array (TA) experiment, the largest UHECR observatory in the northern hemisphere, has observed evidence of two intermediate-scale anisotropies in UHECR arrival direction distributions: the TA Hotspot and the Perseus-Pisces supercluster excess. In this presentation, we will describe an oversampling analysis that we performed to find the excess of events using the data measured by the TA surface detector array. We will report the latest results of the TA Hotspot and Perseus-Pisces supercluster excesses.
Keywords: Telescope Array, TALE, low energy extension, indirect detection, hybrid detection
Published in RUNG: 10.10.2023; Views: 606; Downloads: 4
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