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Opis: We present measurements of the atmospheric depth of the shower maximum Xmax, inferred for the first time on an event-by-event level using the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Using deep learning, we were able to extend measurements of the Xmax distributions up to energies of 100 EeV (10[sup]20 eV), not yet revealed by current measurements, providing new insights into the mass composition of cosmic rays at extreme energies. Gaining a 10-fold increase in statistics compared to the Fluorescence Detector data, we find evidence that the rate of change of the average Xmax with the logarithm of energy features three breaks at 6.5 ± 0.6 (stat) ± 1 (sys) EeV, 11 ± 2 (stat) ± 1 (sys) EeV, and 31 ± 5 (stat) ± 3 (sys) EeV, in the vicinity to the three prominent features (ankle, instep, suppression) of the cosmic-ray flux. The energy evolution of the mean and standard deviation of the measured Xmax distributions indicates that the mass composition becomes increasingly heavier and purer, thus being incompatible with a large fraction of light nuclei between 50 EeV and 100 EeV.
Ključne besede: ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs), extensive air showers, Pierre Auger Observatory, UHECR mass composition, depth of the shower maximum, fluorescence detector, surface detector, deep learning
Objavljeno v RUNG: 20.01.2025; Ogledov: 189; Prenosov: 1
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Opis: This study comprehensively investigates the gamma-ray dim population of Fanaroff–Riley Type 0 (FR0) radio galaxies as potentially significant sources of ultra–high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs, E > 10[sup]18 eV) detected on Earth. While individual FR0 luminosities are relatively low compared to the more powerful Fanaroff–Riley Type 1 and Type 2 galaxies, FR0s are substantially more prevalent in the local universe, outnumbering the more energetic galaxies by a factor of ∼5 within a redshift of z ≤ 0.05. Employing CRPropa3 simulations, we estimate the mass composition and energy spectra of UHECRs originating from FR0 galaxies for energies above 10[sup]18.6 eV. This estimation fits data from the Pierre Auger Observatory (Auger) using three extensive air shower models; both constant and energy-dependent observed elemental fractions are considered. The simulation integrates an approximately isotropic distribution of FR0 galaxies, extrapolated from observed characteristics, with UHECR propagation in the intergalactic medium, incorporating various plausible configurations of extragalactic magnetic fields, both random and structured. We then compare the resulting emission spectral indices, rigidity cutoffs, and elemental fractions with recent Auger results. In total, 25 combined energy-spectrum and mass-composition fits are considered. Beyond the cosmic-ray fluxes emitted by FR0 galaxies, this study predicts the secondary photon and neutrino fluxes from UHECR interactions with intergalactic cosmic photon backgrounds. The multimessenger approach, encompassing observational data and theoretical models, helps elucidate the contribution of low-luminosity FR0 radio galaxies to the total cosmic-ray energy density.
Ključne besede: ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, UHECRs, UHECR energy spectrum, Pierre Auger Observatory, UHECR mass composition, UHECR sources, extragalactic magnetic fields, UHECR propagation, CRPropa tool
Objavljeno v RUNG: 06.01.2025; Ogledov: 228; Prenosov: 6
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Opis: The Auger Radio Detector (RD) will increase the sky coverage and overall aperture for mass- sensitive measurements of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with the Pierre Auger Observatory. The installation of over 1600 dual-polarized short aperiodic loaded loop antennas (SALLAs) on an area of about 3000 sq. km will enable the detection of highly inclined air showers via the emitted electromagnetic radiation in coincidence with the Auger water-Cherenkov detector array (SD). The combination of complementary information from both detectors yields a strong sensitivity to the mass composition of cosmic rays. We will present the expected performance of the RD to detect and reconstruct inclined air showers. This study features comprehensive sets of Monte-Carlo generated air showers, utilizes a complete description of the instrumental response of the radio antennas, and in-situ recorded background. The estimation of an energy- and direction-dependent aperture yields an expectation of about 3900 events with energies above 10[sup]19 eV being detected during 10 years of operation. From a full event reconstruction, we quantify the achievable energy resolution to be better than 10% at and beyond 10[sup]19 eV. With this at hand, the potential to measure the number of muons and discriminate between different cosmic-ray primaries in combination with the SD using inclined air showers is presented. The discrimination between proton- and iron-induced air showers yields a figure-of-merit of 1.6.
Ključne besede: Pierre Auger Observatory, ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, extensive air showers, Auger Radio Detector, Auger water-Cherenkov detector array, mass-sensitive UHECR measurements
Objavljeno v RUNG: 03.10.2024; Ogledov: 605; Prenosov: 6
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Opis: The flux of ultra-high energy cosmic rays reaching Earth above the ankle energy (5 EeV) can be described as a mixture of nuclei injected by extragalactic sources with very hard spectra and a low rigidity cutoff. Extragalactic magnetic fields existing between the Earth and the closest sources can affect the observed CR spectrum by reducing the flux of low-rigidity particles reaching Earth. We perform a combined fit of the spectrum and distributions of depth of shower maximum measured with the Pierre Auger Observatory including the effect of this magnetic horizon in the propagation of UHECRs in the intergalactic space. We find that, within a specific range of the various experimental and phenomenological systematics, the magnetic horizon effect can be relevant for turbulent magnetic field strengths in the local neighbourhood in which the closest sources lie of order Brms ≃ (50–100) nG (20 Mpc/ds)( 100 kpc/Lcoh)1/2, with ds the typical intersource separation and Lcoh the magnetic field coherence length. When this is the case, the inferred slope of the source spectrum becomes softer and can be closer to the expectations of diffusive shock acceleration, i.e., ∝ E-2. An additional cosmic-ray population with higher source density and softer spectra, presumably also extragalactic and dominating the cosmic-ray flux at EeV energies, is also required to reproduce the overall spectrum and composition results for all energies down to 0.6 EeV.
Ključne besede: ultra high energy cosmic rays, UHECR propagation, magnetic horizon effect, Pierre Auger Observatory
Objavljeno v RUNG: 24.09.2024; Ogledov: 577; Prenosov: 1
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Opis: The combined interpretation of the spectrum and composition measurements plays a key role in the quest for the origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). The Pierre Auger Observatory, thanks to its huge exposure, provides the most precise measurement of the energy spectrum of UHECRs and the most reliable information on their composition, exploiting the distributions of the depth of maximum of the showers in the atmosphere. A combined fit of a simple astrophysical model of UHECR sources to the spectrum and mass composition measurements is used to evaluate the constraining power of the data measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory on the source properties. We find that our data across the “ankle” feature are well reproduced if two extragalactic populations of sources are considered, one emitting a very soft spectrum which dominates the region below the ankle, and the other taking over at energies above the ankle, with an intermediate mixed composition, a hard spectrum and a low rigidity cutoff. Interestingly, similar results can also be obtained if the medium-mass contribution at lower energy is provided by an additional galactic component.
Ključne besede: Pierre Auger Observatory, ultra-high energy cosmic rays, UHECR energy spectrum, UHECR mass composition
Objavljeno v RUNG: 24.01.2024; Ogledov: 2403; Prenosov: 10
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