233 research outputs found
Author/historian Jeff LaHurd with one of his Books
Author, journalist and local historian Jeff LaHurd poses with his book "Quintessential Sarasota: Stories and Pictures from the 1920s to the 1950s." He has written a number of books on the history of Sarasota
Muons in air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory : Mean number in highly inclined events
We present the first hybrid measurement of the average muon number in air showers at ultrahigh energies, initiated by cosmic rays with zenith angles between 62° and 80°. The measurement is based on 174 hybrid events recorded simultaneously with the surface detector array and the fluorescence detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The muon number for each shower is derived by scaling a simulated reference profile of the lateral muon density distribution at the ground until it fits the data. A 1019 eV shower with a zenith angle of 67°, which arrives at the surface detector array at an altitude of 1450 m above sea level, contains on average (2.68 ±0.04 ±0.48 (sys))×107 muons with energies larger than 0.3 GeV. The logarithmic gain d ln Nμ/d ln E of muons with increasing energy between 4 ×1018 eV and 5 ×1019 eV is measured to be (1.029 ±0.024 ±0.030 (sys))
Erratum: Search for photons with energies above 1018 eV using the hybrid detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory (Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics (2017) 4 (9) DOI: 10.1088/1475-7516/2017/04/009)
1 Exposure calculation Due to a mistake in the numerical integration following eq. (6.2) of the original article [1], the exposure shown in figure 5 of the original article was incorrect. The correct exposure is shown in figure 1. 2 Upper limits on the integral photon flux and fraction The incorrect exposure affects the calculation of the upper limits on the integral photon flux following eq. (6.1) of the original article. The correct values for the upper limits are 0.038, 0.010, 0.009, 0.008 and 0.007 km−2 sr−1 yr−1 for threshold energies of 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 EeV. The correct values for the upper limits on the integral photon fraction subsequently derived are 0.14 %, 0.17 %, 0.42 %, 0.86 % and 2.9 % for the same threshold energies. 3 Author list The author list of this erratum also corrects a mistake made in the original article, where F. Zuccarello was missing and Z. Zong was listed twice
Erratum: Search for photons with energies above 1018 eV using the hybrid detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory
Exposure calculation Due to a mistake in the numerical integration following eq. (6.2) of the original article [1], the exposure shown in figure 5 of the original article was incorrect. The correct exposure is shown in figure 1. 2 Upper limits on the integral photon flux and fraction The incorrect exposure affects the calculation of the upper limits on the integral photon flux following eq. (6.1) of the original article. The correct values for the upper limits are 0.038, 0.010, 0.009, 0.008 and 0.007 km−2 sr−1 yr−1 for threshold energies of 1, 2, 3, 5 and 10 EeV. The correct values for the upper limits on the integral photon fraction subsequently derived are 0.14 %, 0.17 %, 0.42 %, 0.86 % and 2.9 % for the same threshold energies. 3 Author list The author list of this erratum also corrects a mistake made in the original article, where F. Zuccarello was missing and Z. Zong was listed twice
Evidence for a mixed mass composition at the ‘ankle’ in the cosmic-ray spectrum
We report a first measurement for ultrahigh energy cosmic rays of the correlation between the depth of shower maximum and the signal in the water Cherenkov stations of air-showers registered simultaneously by the fluorescence and the surface detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Such a correlation measurement is a unique feature of a hybrid air-shower observatory with sensitivity to both the electromagnetic and muonic components. It allows an accurate determination of the spread of primary masses in the cosmic-ray flux. Up till now, constraints on the spread of primary masses have been dominated by systematic uncertainties. The present correlation measurement is not affected by systematics in the measurement of the depth of shower maximum or the signal in the water Cherenkov stations. The analysis relies on general characteristics of air showers and is thus robust also with respect to uncertainties in hadronic event generators. The observed correlation in the energy range around the ‘ankle’ at lg(E/eV)=18.5–19.0lg(E/eV)=18.5–19.0 differs significantly from expectations for pure primary cosmic-ray compositions. A light composition made up of proton and helium only is equally inconsistent with observations. The data are explained well by a mixed composition including nuclei with mass A>4A>4. Scenarios such as the proton dip model, with almost pure compositions, are thus disfavored as the sole explanation of the ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray flux at Earth
Energy estimation of cosmic rays with the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) is part of the Pierre Auger Observatory and is used to detect the radio emission of cosmic-ray air showers. These observations are compared to the data of the surface detector stations of the Observatory, which provide well-calibrated information on the cosmic-ray energies and arrival directions. The response of the radio stations in the 30–80 MHz regime has been thoroughly calibrated to enable the reconstruction of the incoming electric field. For the latter, the energy deposit per area is determined from the radio pulses at each observer position and is interpolated using a two-dimensional function that takes into account signal asymmetries due to interference between the geomagnetic and charge-excess emission components. The spatial integral over the signal distribution gives a direct measurement of the energy transferred from the primary cosmic ray into radio emission in the AERA frequency range. We measure 15.8 MeV of radiation energy for a 1 EeV air shower arriving perpendicularly to the geomagnetic field. This radiation energy—corrected for geometrical effects—is used as a cosmic-ray energy estimator. Performing an absolute energy calibration against the surface-detector information, we observe that this radio-energy estimator scales quadratically with the cosmic-ray energy as expected for coherent emission. We find an energy resolution of the radio reconstruction of 22% for the data set and 17% for a high-quality subset containing only events with at least five radio stations with signal
Azimuthal asymmetry in the risetime of the surface detector signals of the Pierre Auger Observatory
Muons in air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory : Measurement of atmospheric production depth
15 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Physical Review D ; see paper for full list of authorsInternational audienceThe surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory provides information about the longitudinal development of the muonic component of extensive air showers. Using the timing information from the flash analog-to-digital converter traces of surface detectors far from the shower core, it is possible to reconstruct a muon production depth distribution. We characterize the goodness of this reconstruction for zenith angles around 60 deg. and different energies of the primary particle. From these distributions we define X(mu)max as the depth along the shower axis where the production of muons reaches maximum. We explore the potentiality of X(mu)max as a useful observable to infer the mass composition of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays. Likewise, we assess its ability to constrain hadronic interaction models
A 3-Year Sample of Almost 1,600 Elves Recorded Above South America by the Pierre Auger Cosmic-Ray Observatory
Elves are a class of transient luminous events, with a radial extent typically greater than 250 km, that occur in the lower ionosphere above strong electrical storms.We report the observation of 1,598 elves, from 2014 to 2016, recorded with unprecedented time resolution (100 ns) using the fluorescence detector (FD) of the Pierre Auger Cosmic-Ray Observatory. The Auger Observatory is located in the Mendoza province of Argentina with a viewing footprint for elve observations of 3 · 106 km2, reaching areas above the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans, as well as the Córdoba region, which is known for severe convective thunderstorms. Primarily designed for ultrahigh energy cosmic-ray observations, the Auger FD turns out to be very sensitive to the ultraviolet emission in elves. The detector features modified Schmidt optics with large apertures resulting in a field of view that spans the horizon, and year-round operation on dark nights with low moonlight background, when the local weather is favorable. The measured light profiles of 18% of the elve events have more than one peak, compatible with intracloud activity. Within the 3-year sample, 72% of the elves correlate with the far-field radiation measurements of the World Wide Lightning Location Network. The Auger Observatory plans to continue operations until at least 2025, including elve observations and analysis. To the best of our knowledge, this observatory is the only facility on Earth that measures elves with year-round operation and full horizon coverage.
Co-authors: A. Aab, P. Abreu,M. Aglietta, I. F.M. Albuquerque, J.M. Albury, I. Allekotte, A. Almela, J. Alvarez Castillo, J. Alvarez-Muniz, G. A. Anastasi,L. Anchordoqui, B. Andrada, S. Andringa, C. Aramo, H. Asorey, P. Assis, G. Avila, A.M. Badescu, A. Bakalova, A. Balaceanu,F. Barbato, R. J. Barreira Luz, S. Baur, K. H. Becker, J.A. Bellido, C. Berat,M. E. Bertaina, X. Bertou, P. L. Biermann, J. Biteau, S. G. Blaess, A. Blanco, J. Blazek, C. Bleve,M. Bohaˇcova, D. Boncioli, C. Bonifazi, N. Borodai, A. M. Botti, J. Brack,T. Bretz, A. Bridgeman, F. L. Briechle, P. Buchholz, A. Bueno, S. Buitink,M. Buscemi, K. S. Caballero-Mora, L. Caccianiga, L. Calcagni, A. Cancio, F. Canfora, J.M. Carceller, R. Caruso, A. Castellina, F. Catalani, G. Cataldi, L. Cazon,M. Cerda, J. A. Chinellato,J. Chudoba, L. Chytka, R.W. Clay, A. C. Cobos Cerutti, R. Colalillo, A. Coleman,M. R. Coluccia, R. Conceicao, A. Condorelli, G. Consolati,F. Contreras,M. J. Cooper, S. Coutu, C. E. Covault, B. Daniel, S. Dasso, K. Daumiller, B. R. Dawson, J. A. Day, R.M. de Almeida,S. J. de Jong, G. Mauro, J. R. T. de Mello Neto, I. Mitri, J. de Oliveira, F. O. de Oliveira Salles, V. de Souza, J. Debatin,M. del Rio, O. Deligny,N. Dhital,M. L. Diaz Castro, F. Diogo, C. Dobrigkeit, J. C. D\u27Olivo, Q. Dorosti, R. C. dos Anjos, M. T. Dova, A. Dundovic, J. Ebr, R. Engel,M. Erdmann, C. O. Escobar, A. Etchegoyen, H. Falcke, J. Farmer, G. Farrar, A. C. Fauth, N. Fazzini, F. Feldbusch,F. Fenu, L. P. Ferreyro, J.M. Figueira, A. Filipˇciˇc, M. M. Freire, T. Fujii, A. Fuster, B. Garcia, H. Gemmeke, A. Gherghel-Lascu,P. L. Ghia, U. Giaccari,M. Giammarchi,M. Giller, D. Głas, J. Glombitza, F. Gobbi, G. Golup,M. Gomez Berisso, P. F. Gomez Vitale,J. P. Gongora, N. Gonzalez, I. Goos, D. Gora, A. Gorgi,M. Gottowik, T. D. Grubb, F. Guarino, G. P. Guedes, E. Guido,R. Halliday, M. R. Hampel, P. Hansen, D. Harari, T. A. Harrison, V. M. Harvey, A. Haungs, T. Hebbeker, D. Heck, P. Heimann,G. C. Hill, C. Hojvat, E. M. Holt, P. Homola, J. R. Horandel, P. Horvath,M. Hrabovsky, T. Huege, J. Hulsman, A. Insolia,P. G. Isar, I. Jandt, J. A. Johnsen,M. Josebachuili, J. Jurysek, A. Kaapa, K. H. Kampert, B. Keilhauer, N. Kemmerich, J. Kemp,H. O. Klages, M. Kleifges, J. Kleinfeller, R. Krause, D. Kuempel, G. Kukec Mezek, A. Kuotb Awad, B. L. Lago, D. LaHurd, R. G. Lang,R. Legumina,M. A. Leigui de Oliveira, V. Lenok, A. Letessier-Selvon, I. Lhenry-Yvon, O. C. Lippmann, D. Lo Presti, L. Lopes, R. Lopez, A. Lopez Casado,R. Lorek, Q. Luce, A. Lucero,M. Malacari, G. Mancarella, D. Mandat, B. C. Manning, P. Mantsch, A. G. Mariazzi, I. C. Mari,s, G. Marsella, D. Martello, H. Martinez, O. Martinez Bravo,M. Mastrodicasa, H. J. Mathes, S. Mathys, J. Matthews, G. Matthiae, E. Mayotte,P. O. Mazur, G. Medina-Tanco, D. Melo, A. Menshikov, K.-D. Merenda, S. Michal,M. I. Micheletti, L. Middendorf, L. Miramonti, B. Mitrica,D. Mockler, S. Mollerach, F. Montanet, C. Morello, G. Morlino,M. Mostafa, A. L. Muller,M. A. Muller, S. Muller, R. Mussa,L. Nellen, P. H. Nguyen,M. Niculescu-Oglinzanu,M. Niechciol, D. Nitz, D. Nosek, V. Novotny, L. Noža, A Nucita, L.A. Nunez,A. Olinto,M. Palatka, J. Pallotta,M. P. Panetta, P. Papenbreer, G. Parente, A. Parra, M. Pech, F. Pedreira, J. Pe,kala,R. Pelayo, J. Pena-Rodriguez, L. A. S. Pereira,M. Perlin, L. Perrone, C. Peters, S. Petrera, J. Phuntsok, T. Pierog,M. Pimenta,V. Pirronello,M. Platino, J. Poh, B. Pont, C. Porowski, R. R. Prado, P. Privitera,M. Prouza, A. Puyleart, S. Querchfeld,S. Quinn, R. Ramos-Pollan, J. Rautenberg, D. Ravignani, M. Reininghaus, J. Ridky, F. Riehn,M. Risse, P. Ristori, V. Rizi, W. Rodrigues de Carvalho, J. Rodriguez Rojo,M. J. Roncoroni, M. Roth, E. Roulet, A. C. Rovero, P. Ruehl, S. J. Saffi, A. Saftoiu, F. Salamida,H. Salazar, G. Salina,J. D. Sanabria Gomez, F. Sanchez, E.M. Santos, E. Santos, F. Sarazin, R. Sarmento, C. Sarmiento-Cano, R. Sato,P. Savina,M. Schauer, V. Scherini, H. Schieler, M. Schimassek,M. Schimp, F. Schluter, D. Schmidt, O. Scholten, P. Schovanek, F. G. Schroder, S. Schroder, J. Schumacher, S. J. Sciutto,M. Scornavacche, R. C. Shellard, G. Sigl, G. Silli, O. Sima, R. Šmida,G.R. Snow, P. Sommers, J. F. Soriano, J. Souchard, R. Squartini, D. Stanca, S. Staniˇc, J. Stasielak, P. Stassi, M. Stolpovskiy,A. Streich, F. Suarez,M. Suarez-Duran, T. Sudholz, T. Suomijarvi, A.D. Supanitsky, J. Šupik, Z. Szadkowski, A. Taboada, O. A. Taborda, A. Tapia, C. Timmermans, C. J. Todero Peixoto, B. Tome, G. Torralba Elipe, A. Travaini, P. Travnicek,M. Trini, M. Tueros, R. Ulrich,M. Unger,M. Urban, J. F. Valdes Galicia, I. Valino, L. Valore, P. van Bodegom, A.M. van den Berg, A. van Vliet, E. Varela, B. Vargas Cardenas,D. Veberiˇc, C. Ventura, I. D. Vergara Quispe, V. Verzi, J. Vicha, L. Villasenor, J. Vink, S. Vorobiov, H. Wahlberg, A. A. Watson, M. Weber, A. Weindl,M.Wieden´ ski, L. Wiencke, H. Wilczyn´ ski, T.Winchen, M. Wirtz, D. Wittkowski, B. Wundheiler, L. Yang, A. Yushkov, E. Zas, D. Zavrtanik, M. Zavrtanik, L. Zehrer, A. Zepeda, B. Zimmermann,M. Ziolkowski, Z. Zongand F. Zuccarello
Data set attached as supplementary file
Probing the radio emission from air showers with polarization measurements
The emission of radio waves from air showers has been attributed to the so-called geomagnetic emission
process. At frequencies around 50 MHz this process leads to coherent radiation which can be observed with
rather simple setups. The direction of the electric field induced by this emission process depends only on the local magnetic field vector and on the incoming direction of the air shower. We report on measurements
of the electric field vector where, in addition to this geomagnetic component, another component has been
observed that cannot be described by the geomagnetic emission process. The data provide strong evidence
that the other electric field component is polarized radially with respect to the shower axis, in agreement
with predictions made by Askaryan who described radio emission from particle showers due to a negative
charge excess in the front of the shower. Our results are compared to calculations which include the
radiation mechanism induced by this charge-excess process
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