11. Mass composition from 3 EeV to 100 EeV using the depth of the maximum of air-shower profiles estimated with deep learning using surface detector data of the Pierre Auger ObservatoryJonas Glombitza, Andrej Filipčič, Jon Paul Lundquist, Shima Ujjani Shivashankara, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, 2023, objavljeni znanstveni prispevek na konferenci Opis: We present a new analysis for estimating the depth of the maximum of air-shower profiles, �max, to investigate the evolution of the ultra-high-energy cosmic ray mass composition from 3 to 100 EeV. We use a recently developed deep-learning-based technique for the reconstruction of �max from the data of the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. To avoid systematic uncertainties arising from hadronic interaction models in the simulation of surface detector data, we calibrate the new reconstruction technique with observations of the fluorescence detector. Using the novel analysis, we have a 10-fold increase of statistics at � > 5 EeV with respect to fluorescence detector data. We are able, for the first time, to study the evolution of the mean and standard deviation of the �max distributions up to 100 EeV.
We find an excellent agreement with fluorescence observations and confirm the increase of the mean logarithmic mass ⟨ln(�)⟩ and a decrease of the �max fluctuations with energy. The �max measurement at the highest — so far inaccessible — energies is consistent with a pure mass composition and a mean logarithmic mass of around ∼ 3 (estimated using the Sibyll 2.3d and the EPOS-LHC hadronic interaction models). Furthermore, with the increase in statistics, we find indications for a structure beyond a constant elongation rate in the evolution of �max. Ključne besede: ultra-high energy cosmic rays, Pierre Auger Observatory, surface detector, flourescence detector Objavljeno v RUNG: 22.01.2024; Ogledov: 1532; Prenosov: 7 Celotno besedilo (992,98 KB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
12. Investigations of a novel energy estimator using deep learning for the surface detector of the Pierre Auger ObservatoryFiona Ellwanger, Andrej Filipčič, Jon Paul Lundquist, Shima Ujjani Shivashankara, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, 2023, objavljeni znanstveni prispevek na konferenci Opis: Exploring physics at energies beyond the reach of human-built accelerators by studying cosmic rays requires an accurate reconstruction of their energy. At the highest energies, cosmic rays are indirectly measured by observing a shower of secondary particles produced by their interaction in the atmosphere. At the Pierre Auger Observatory, the energy of the primary particle is either
reconstructed from measurements of the emitted fluorescence light, produced when secondary particles travel through the atmosphere, or shower particles detected with the surface detector at the ground. The surface detector comprises a triangular grid of water-Cherenkov detectors that measure the shower footprint at the ground level. With deep learning, large simulation data sets can be used to train neural networks for reconstruction purposes.
In this work, we present an application of a neural network to estimate the energy of the primary particle from the surface detector data by exploiting the time structure of the particle footprint.
When evaluating the precision of the method on air shower simulations, we find the potential to significantly reduce the composition bias compared to methods based on fitting the lateral signal distribution. Furthermore, we investigate possible biases arising from systematic differences between simulations and data. Ključne besede: ultra-high energy cosmic rays, Pierre Auger Observatory, surface detector, neural network Objavljeno v RUNG: 22.01.2024; Ogledov: 1161; Prenosov: 5 Celotno besedilo (1,78 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
13. Status and performance of the underground muon detector of the Pierre Auger ObservatoryJoaquín De Jesús, Andrej Filipčič, Jon Paul Lundquist, Shima Ujjani Shivashankara, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, 2023, objavljeni znanstveni prispevek na konferenci Opis: The Pierre Auger Observatory, located in Malargüe, Argentina, is the largest facility for the detection of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays and has been operating successfully for nearly 20 years. For its second phase of operation, the Observatory is undergoing a major upgrade, called AugerPrime, to increase its sensitivity to the primary mass. As part of the upgrade, the Underground Muon
Detector is being deployed in the low-energy extension of the Surface Detector. It consists of an array of 30 m^2 plastic scintillator muon counters buried 2.3m underground in the vicinity of the water-Cherenkov detectors. This will allow a direct measurement of the muonic component of air showers in the energy range 1016.5 eV to 1019 eV, contributing significantly to the discrimination of the primary mass and to the testing of hadronic interaction models. In this contribution, the deployment status and performance of the Underground Muon Detector are presented. Ključne besede: surface detector, Pierre Auger Observatory, AugerPrime, underground muon detector Objavljeno v RUNG: 22.01.2024; Ogledov: 1269; Prenosov: 6 Celotno besedilo (15,44 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
14. The time evolution of the surface detector of the Pierre Auger ObservatoryOrazio Zapparrata, Andrej Filipčič, Jon Paul Lundquist, Shima Ujjani Shivashankara, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, 2023, objavljeni znanstveni prispevek na konferenci Opis: The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory, consisting of 1660 water Cherenkov tanks, has been in operation for nearly 20 years. During this long period of data acquisition, ageing
effects in the detector response have been observed. The temporal evolution of the signals recorded by the surface detector is mostly compensated by continuous calibration with atmospheric muons;
however, effects persist in the signal rise time and in high-level data analysis using neural networks. We have implemented a detailed description of the time evolution of the detector response and of
the uptimes of individual stations in GEANT4-based detector simulations. These new simulations reproduce the observed time dependencies in the data. Using air-shower simulations that take
into account the evolution of individual stations, we show that the reconstructed energy is stable at the sub-percent level, and its resolution is affected by less than 5% in 15 years. For a few
specific stations, the collected light produced by muons has decreased to the point where it is difficult to distinguish it from the electromagnetic background in the calibration histograms. The
upgrade of the Observatory with scintillator detectors mitigates this problem: by requiring a coincidence between the water-Cherenkov and scintillator detectors, we can enhance the muon relative contribution to the calibration histogram. We present the impact and performance of this coincidence calibration method. Ključne besede: surface detector, Pierre Auger Observatory, neural networks, air-shower simulations Objavljeno v RUNG: 22.01.2024; Ogledov: 1249; Prenosov: 5 Celotno besedilo (743,29 KB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
15. Update on the offline framework for AugerPrime and production of reference simulation libraries using the VO Auger grid resourcesEva Santos, Andrej Filipčič, Jon Paul Lundquist, Shima Ujjani Shivashankara, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, 2023, objavljeni znanstveni prispevek na konferenci Opis: Taking data stably since 2004, the Pierre Auger Observatory has published numerous results regarding the properties of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with unprecedented statistics. However, questions about their origin and mass composition remain unanswered, motivating us to build AugerPrime, a major upgrade of our surface detector array with improved electronics and new detectors. The upgrade is swiftly approaching its completion. Phase II of the Pierre Auger Observatory has begun, which called for an update of the Offline software Framework and modules to handle the additional detectors and the new electronics. Thanks to its modular structure, Offline has proved flexible enough to accommodate all the changes required to handle AugerPrime data reconstruction and event simulation. Additionally, new reference libraries of shower and detector simulations, including dedicated libraries envisaging the searches for neutral particles, such as ultra-high-energy photons and neutrinos, profiting from the new AugerPrime detectors with the upgraded electronics, are in the pipeline. In this contribution, we report on the current status and
prospects for the Auger Off line Framework and the production of reference Monte Carlo libraries for AugerPrime. Ključne besede: AugerPrime, Pierre Auger Observatory, cosmic rays, surface detectors Objavljeno v RUNG: 16.01.2024; Ogledov: 1191; Prenosov: 8 Celotno besedilo (1,52 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
16. AugerPrime surface detector electronicsA. Abdul Halim, Andrej Filipčič, Jon Paul Lundquist, Shima Ujjani Shivashankara, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, 2023, izvirni znanstveni članek Opis: Operating since 2004, the Pierre Auger Observatory has led to major advances in our
understanding of the ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. The latest findings have revealed new insights that led to the upgrade of the Observatory, with the primary goal of obtaining information on the primary mass of the most energetic cosmic rays on a shower-by-shower basis. In the framework of the upgrade, called AugerPrime, the 1660 water-Cherenkov detectors of the surface array are equipped with plastic scintillators and radio antennas, allowing us to enhance the composition sensitivity. To accommodate new detectors and to increase experimental capabilities, the electronics
is also upgraded. This includes better timing with up-to-date GPS receivers, higher sampling
frequency, increased dynamic range, and more powerful local processing of the data. In this paper, the design characteristics of the new electronics and the enhanced dynamic range will be described. The manufacturing and test processes will be outlined and the test results will be discussed. The calibration of the SD detector and various performance parameters obtained from the analysis of the first commissioning data will also be presented. Ključne besede: ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, Pierre Auger Observatory, AugerPrime detector upgrade, surface detector array, surface detector electronics Objavljeno v RUNG: 18.10.2023; Ogledov: 1909; Prenosov: 6 Celotno besedilo (2,07 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
17. Highlights from the Telescope Array ExperimentJ. Kim, Jon Paul Lundquist, 2023, objavljeni znanstveni prispevek na konferenci (vabljeno predavanje) Opis: 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. Ključne besede: 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 Objavljeno v RUNG: 10.10.2023; Ogledov: 1511; Prenosov: 7 Celotno besedilo (26,81 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
18. TA SD analysis for inclined air showersK. Takahashi, Jon Paul Lundquist, 2023, objavljeni znanstveni prispevek na konferenci Opis: The origin of UHECRs is an open question which is complicated due to not very well-known deflections of the charged particles in Galactic and intergalactic magnetic fields. Finding the EeV neutrinos from astronomical sources will be a key to solve the problem of the origin. EeV neutrinos are expected to produce extensive air showers which are observable by the current operational air shower arrays. To search for neutrino-induced showers, it is important to increase both the interaction probability and background rejection power in the analysis of the inclined showers. We study a reconstruction method of the Telescope Array surface detector (TA SD) data for the neutrino-induced inclined air showers. The prime target is to improve the angular resolution for the astronomical objects. In this contribution, we present the detail of analysis method, angular resolution and total exposure of TA SD for neutrinos from the astronomical objects as a function of the declination. Ključne besede: Telescope Array, indirect detection, surface detection, ground array, ultra-high energy, cosmic rays, inclined showers, neutrinos Objavljeno v RUNG: 09.10.2023; Ogledov: 1678; Prenosov: 6 Celotno besedilo (1,13 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
19. Measurement of the cosmic ray energy spectrum with the TA×4 SD arrayKozo Fujisue, R. U. Abbasi, Y. Abe, T. Abu-Zayyad, M. Allen, Yasuhiko Arai, R. Arimura, E. Barcikowski, J. W. Belz, Douglas R. Bergman, 2023, objavljeni znanstveni prispevek na konferenci Opis: The TA×4 experiment aims to better understand the origin and nature of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) by expanding the observation area of the Telescope Array (TA) experiment by a factor of 4. This expansion will increase the statistics of UHECR events with energies greater than 10^19.5 eV. The SD, which means the additionally deployed surface detectors (SD) for the TA×4 experiment, has been collecting data since 2019, and the analysis of this data is currently underway. In this presentation, we will report comparisons between the Monte Carlo simulation and the data obtained by the TA×4 SD array and highlight the agreement between the two. We will also report on the UHECR energy spectrum observed by the TA×4 SD array from October 2019 to September 2022. Ključne besede: Telescope Array, TAx4, indirect detection, surface detection, ground array, ultra-high energy, cosmic rays, energy spectrum Objavljeno v RUNG: 09.10.2023; Ogledov: 1474; Prenosov: 8 Celotno besedilo (1,51 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
20. Search for EeV photon-induced events at the Telescope ArrayI. Kharuk, R. U. Abbasi, Y. Abe, T. Abu-Zayyad, M. Allen, Yasuhiko Arai, R. Arimura, E. Barcikowski, J. W. Belz, Douglas R. Bergman, 2023, objavljeni znanstveni prispevek na konferenci Opis: We report on the updated results on the search for photon-like-induced events in the data, collected by Telescope Array's Surface Detectors during the last 14 years. In order to search for photon-like-induced events, we trained a neural network on Monte-Carlo simulated data to distinguish between the proton-induced and photon-induced air showers. Both reconstructed composition-sensitive parameters and raw signals registered by the Surface Detectors are used as input data for the neural network. The classification threshold was optimized to provide the strongest possible constraint on the photons' flux. Ključne besede: Telescope Array, indirect detection, surface detection, ground array, ultra-high energy, cosmic rays, photons, neural network, machine learning Objavljeno v RUNG: 09.10.2023; Ogledov: 1666; Prenosov: 8 Celotno besedilo (543,46 KB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |