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Abstract: Evidence of a number of interrelated energy dependent intermediate-scale anisotropies have been found in the arrival directions of proton-like ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) using 7 years of Telescope Array (TA) data. These are found using analysis techniques that have been developed for this dissertation. Using surface detector (SD) data the reported TA “Hotspot” excess, E≥10^19.75 eV, is found to correspond to a deficit, or “Coldspot,” of events for 10^19.1≤E<10^19.75 eV at 142◦R.A., 40◦ Dec. The global post-trial significance of this Hot/Coldspot event density asymmetry is found to be 5.1σ (p = 1.56 × 10−7). This Hot/Coldspot feature is the combination, at the same location, of an energy spectrum anisotropy with a 3.74σ significance for energies E≥10^19.2 eV and an energy-distance correlation with a 3.34σ significance for energies E≥1019.3 eV. The UHECR Hotspot alone is analyzed using a new kernel density estimation (KDE) anisotropy method and found to have a 3.65σ significance (E≥1019.75 eV). These features suggest energy dependent magnetic deflection of UHECR. The composition of UHECR primary particles is also studied using a new “Quality Factor Analysis” pattern recognition event selection for fluorescence detectors (FD). This minimizes the energy dependence of the resolution of extensive air shower (EAS) Xmax depth. Also, a new statistical method making use of all higher moments than the mean shower depth distribution is developed – as there is large disagreement in between all EAS simulation models. There is also an uncertainty, just as large, for any particular model, given uncertainties in particle interaction parameters extrapolated to much higher energies from Large Hadron Collider (LHC) data. The TA hybrid FD/SD data is found to be statistically compatible with a pure proton composition, though not incompatible with a light mixed composition, for all models of EAS above E≥10^18.4 eV. There is also no statistically significant evidence of the composition getting heavier at the highest energies. The combined information of a proton-like light composition, and anisotropy evidence suggestive of energy dependent magnetic deflection of UHECR, should be useful for informing future source searches and models of intergalactic propagation through magnetic fields.
Keywords: cosmic rays, UHECR, composition, anisotropy
Published in RUNG: 24.04.2020; Views: 2869; Downloads: 0
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Abstract: Cosmic rays with energies above 10^18 eV, usually referred to as ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR), have been a mystery from the moment they have been discovered. Although we have now more information on their extragalactic origin, their direct sources still remain hidden due to deviations caused by galactic magnetic fields. Another mystery, apart from their production sites, is their nature. Their mass composition, still uncertain at these energies, would give us a better understanding on their production, acceleration, propagation and capacity to produce extensive air showers in the Earth's atmosphere. Mass composition studies of UHECR try to determine their nature from the difference in development of their extensive air showers. In this work, observational parameters from the hybrid detection system of the Pierre Auger Observatory are used in a multivariate analysis to obtain the mass composition of UHECR. The multivariate analysis (MVA) approach combines a number of mass composition sensitive variables and tries to improve the separation between different UHECR particle masses. Simulated distributions of different primary particles are fitted to measured observable distributions in order to determine individual elemental fractions of the composition. When including observables from the surface detector, we find a discrepancy in the estimated mass composition between a mixed simulation sample and the Pierre Auger data. Our analysis results from the Pierre Auger data are to a great degree independent on hadronic interaction models. Although they differ at higher primary masses, the different models are more consistent, when combining fractions of oxygen and iron. Compared to previously published results, the systematic uncertainty from hadronic interaction models is roughly four times smaller. Our analysis reports a predominantly heavy composition of UHECR, with more than a 50% fraction of oxygen and iron at low energies. The composition is then becoming heavier with increasing energy, with a fraction of oxygen and iron above 80% at the highest energies.
Keywords: astroparticle physics, ultra-high energy cosmic rays, extensive air showers, mass composition, Pierre Auger Observatory, machine learning, multivariate analysis
Published in RUNG: 03.04.2019; Views: 4941; Downloads: 186
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Keywords: Pierre Auger Observatory, Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR), UHECR energy spectrum, UHECR mass composition
Published in RUNG: 27.06.2017; Views: 4138; Downloads: 0
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Keywords: Pierre Auger Observatory, ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECR), UHECR hybrid detection technique, UHECR energy spectrum, UHECR mass composition, UHECR arrival directions
Published in RUNG: 20.06.2017; Views: 5133; Downloads: 395
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Keywords: ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR), UHECR mass composition, Pierre Auger Observatory, Telescope Array, cross-calibration studies
Published in RUNG: 17.11.2016; Views: 5239; Downloads: 0
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