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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: 623; Downloads: 6
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Abstract: This work presents observations of the optical emission of a lightning flash in conjunction with a downward-directed Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flash (TGF) at the Telescope Array detector. Previously in ICRC-2021, we reported joint observations by the Telescope Array Surface Detector (TASD), the Lightning Mapping Array, a sferic sensor, and a broadband interferometer of particle showers in coincidence with lightning. These observations consisted of energetic showers of approximately less than 10-microsecond duration with footprints on the ground of 3-6 kilometers in diameter, originating in the first one to two milliseconds of downward lightning leaders and in coincidence with the initial breakdown pulses stage of negative cloud-to-ground lighting leaders. Scintillator waveform and simulation studies confirmed that these showers must consist primarily of gamma radiations. In this work, we use the TASD detector, together with a high-speed video camera, in conjunction with multiple lightning instruments at the TASD site, to report on the optical emission associated with a downward-directed terrestrial gamma-ray flash. Results from this study allow us to further the understanding of the initiation and propagation mechanism of terrestrial gamma-ray flashes. It will also further our ability to compare the most recent satellite optical emissions counterpart of upward-directed TGFs to that of downward-directed TGFs.
Keywords: Telescope Array, low energy extension, indirect detection, hybrid detection
Published in RUNG: 10.10.2023; Views: 611; Downloads: 5
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Abstract: The Telescope Array (TA) cosmic rays detector located in the State of Utah in the United States is the largest ultra high energy cosmic rays detector in the northern hemisphere. The Telescope Array Low Energy Extension (TALE) fluorescence detector (FD) was added to TA in order to lower the detector's energy threshold, and has succeeded in measuring the cosmic rays energy spectrum down to PeV energies, by making use of the direct Cherenkov light produced by air showers. In this contribution we present the results of a measurement of the cosmic-ray energy spectrum and mass composition using TALE FD data collected over a period of ∼8 years. This contribution provides an update to results on the cosmic-ray energy spectrum and mass composition presented at this conference in 2021. The update includes data collected during 16 additional months of observation and an updated detector simulation sets.
Keywords: Telescope Array, TALE, low energy extension, indirect detection, hybrid detection
Published in RUNG: 09.10.2023; Views: 556; Downloads: 5
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Abstract: The Pierre Auger Observatory, located in western Argentina, is the world's largest cosmic-ray observatory. While it was originally built to study the cosmic-ray flux above 10^18.5 eV, several enhancements have reduced this energy threshold. One such enhancement is a surface array composed of a triangular grid of 19 water-Cherenkov detectors separated by 433 m (SD-433) to explore the energies down to about 10^16 eV. We are developing two research lines employing the SD-433. Firstly, we will measure the energy spectrum in a region where previous experiments have shown evidence of the second knee. Secondly, we will search for ultra-high energy photons to study PeV cosmic-ray sources residing in the Galactic center. In this work, we introduce the SD-433 and we show that it is fully efficient above 5×10^16 eV for hadronic primaries with θ<45∘. Using seven years of data, we present the parametrization of the lateral distribution function of measured signals. Finally, we show that an angular resolution of 1.8∘ (0.5∘) can be attained at the lowest (highest) primary energies. Our study lays the goundmark for measurements in the energy range above 10^16 eV by utilizing the SD-433 and thus expanding the scientific output of the Auger surface detector.
Keywords: Pierre Auger Observatory, SD-433, indirect detection, surface detection, low energy extension, ultra-high energy, cosmic rays, energy spectrum, photons, multimessenger
Published in RUNG: 04.10.2023; Views: 730; Downloads: 5
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Abstract: The Telescope Array (TA) cosmic rays detector located in the State of Utah in the United States is the largest ultra high energy cosmic rays detector in the northern hemisphere. The Telescope Array Low Energy Extension (TALE) fluorescence detector (FD) was added to TA in order to lower the detector's energy threshold, and has succeeded in measuring the cosmic rays energy spectrum down to PeV energies, by making use of the direct Cherenkov light produced by air showers. In this contribution we present the results of a measurement of the cosmic-ray composition using TALE FD data collected over a period of ∼7 years. TALE FD data is used to measure the Xmax distributions of showers seen in the energy range of 10^15.3 - 10^18.3 eV. The data distributions are fit to Monte Carlo distributions of {H, He, N, Fe} cosmic-ray primaries for energies up to 10^18 eV. Mean Xmax values are measured for the full energy range. TALE observes a light composition at the "Knee", that gets gradually heavier as energy increases toward the "Second-Knee". An increase in the Xmax elongation rate is observed at energies just above 10^17.3 eV indicating a change in the cosmic rays composition from a heavier to a lighter mix of primaries.
Keywords: Telescope Array, TALE, low energy extension, indirect detection, fluorescence detection, cerenkov light, ultra-high energy, cosmic rays, composition
Published in RUNG: 02.10.2023; Views: 676; Downloads: 5
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