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At least 19 records
All sourcesNASA NTRSDOE OSTI
DOE OSTI2017

Multi-resolution anisotropy studies of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory

Here, we report a multi-resolution search for anisotropies in the arrival directions of cosmic rays detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory with local zenith angles up to 80(o) and energies in excess of 4 EeV (4 × 10 18 eV). This search is conducted by measuring the angular power spectrum and performing a needlet wavelet analysis in two independent energy ranges. Both analyses are complementary since the angular power spectrum achieves a better performance in identifying large-scale patterns while the needlet wavelet analysis, considering the parameters used in this work, presents a higher efficiency in detecting smaller-scale anisotropies, potentially providing directional information on any observed anisotropies. No deviation from isotropy is observed on any angular scale in the energy range between 4 and 8 EeV. Above 8 EeV, an indication for a dipole moment is captured, while no other deviation from isotropy is observed for moments beyond the dipole one. The corresponding p-values obtained after accounting for searches blindly performed at several angular scales, are 1.3 × 10 -5 in the case of the angular power spectrum, and 2.5 × 10 -3 in the case of the needlet analysis. While these results are consistent with previous reports making use of the same data set, they provide extensions of the previous works through the thorough scans of the angular scales.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2012

LARGE-SCALE DISTRIBUTION OF ARRIVAL DIRECTIONS OF COSMIC RAYS DETECTED ABOVE 10{sup 18} eV AT THE PIERRE AUGER OBSERVATORY

A thorough search for large-scale anisotropies in the distribution of arrival directions of cosmic rays detected above 10{sup 18} eV at the Pierre Auger Observatory is presented. This search is performed as a function of both declination and right ascension in several energy ranges above 10{sup 18} eV, and reported in terms of dipolar and quadrupolar coefficients. Within the systematic uncertainties, no significant deviation from isotropy is revealed. Assuming that any cosmic-ray anisotropy is dominated by dipole and quadrupole moments in this energy range, upper limits on their amplitudes are derived. These upper limits allow us to test the origin of cosmic rays above 10{sup 18} eV from stationary Galactic sources densely distributed in the Galactic disk and predominantly emitting light particles in all directions.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Search for correlations between the arrival directions of IceCube neutrino events and ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory and the Telescope Array

This study presents the results of different searches for correlations between very high-energy neutrino candidates detected by IceCube and the highest-energy cosmic rays measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory and the Telescope Array. We first consider samples of cascade neutrino events and of high-energy neutrino-induced muon tracks, which provided evidence for a neutrino flux of astrophysical origin, and study their cross-correlation with the ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) samples as a function of angular separation. We also study their possible directional correlations using a likelihood method stacking the neutrino arrival directions and adopting different assumptions on the size of the UHECR magnetic deflections. Finally, we perform another likelihood analysis stacking the UHECR directions and using a sample of through-going muon tracks optimized for neutrino point-source searches with sub-degree angular resolution. No indications of correlations at discovery level are obtained for any of the searches performed. The smallest of the p-values comes from the search for correlation between UHECRs with IceCube high-energy cascades, a result that should continue to be monitored.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Searches for anisotropies in the arrival directions of the highest energy cosmic rays detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory

We analyze the distribution of arrival directions of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays recorded at the Pierre Auger Observatory in 10 years of operation. The data set, about three times larger than that used in earlier studies, includes arrival directions with zenith angles up to 80°, thus covering from −90{sup ∘} to +45{sup ∘} in declination. After updating the fraction of events correlating with the active galactic nuclei (AGNs) in the Véron-Cetty and Véron catalog, we subject the arrival directions of the data with energies in excess of 40 EeV to different tests for anisotropy. We search for localized excess fluxes, self-clustering of event directions at angular scales up to 30°, and different threshold energies between 40 and 80 EeV. We then look for correlations of cosmic rays with celestial structures both in the Galaxy (the Galactic Center and Galactic Plane) and in the local universe (the Super-Galactic Plane). We also examine their correlation with different populations of nearby extragalactic objects: galaxies in the 2MRS catalog, AGNs detected by Swift-BAT, radio galaxies with jets, and the Centaurus A (Cen A) galaxy. None of the tests show statistically significant evidence of anisotropy. The strongest departures from isotropy (post-trial probability ∼1.4%) are obtained for cosmic rays with E>58 EeV in rather large windows around Swift AGNs closer than 130 Mpc and brighter than 10{sup 44} erg s{sup −1} (18° radius), and around the direction of Cen A (15° radius).

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Large scale distribution of ultra high energy cosmic rays detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory with zenith angles up to 80°

We present the results of an analysis of the large angular scale distribution of the arrival directions of cosmic rays with energy above 4 EeV detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory including for the first time events with zenith angle between 60° and 80°. We perform two Rayleigh analyses, one in the right ascension and one in the azimuth angle distributions, that are sensitive to modulations in right ascension and declination, respectively. The largest departure from isotropy appears in the E>8 EeV energy bin, with an amplitude for the first harmonic in right ascension r{sub 1}{sup α}=(4.4±1.0)×10{sup −2}, that has a chance probability P(⩾r{sub 1}{sup α})=6.4×10{sup −5}, reinforcing the hint previously reported with vertical events alone.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2014

Searches for large-scale anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays detected above energy of 10{sup 19} eV at the Pierre Auger observatory and the telescope array

Spherical harmonic moments are well-suited for capturing anisotropy at any scale in the flux of cosmic rays. An unambiguous measurement of the full set of spherical harmonic coefficients requires full-sky coverage. This can be achieved by combining data from observatories located in both the northern and southern hemispheres. To this end, a joint analysis using data recorded at the Telescope Array and the Pierre Auger Observatory above 10{sup 19} eV is presented in this work. The resulting multipolar expansion of the flux of cosmic rays allows us to perform a series of anisotropy searches, and in particular to report on the angular power spectrum of cosmic rays above 10{sup 19} eV. No significant deviation from isotropic expectations is found throughout the analyses performed. Upper limits on the amplitudes of the dipole and quadrupole moments are derived as a function of the direction in the sky, varying between 7% and 13% for the dipole and between 7% and 10% for a symmetric quadrupole.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2015

THE MINIMUM WIDTH OF THE ARRIVAL DIRECTION DISTRIBUTION OF ULTRA-HIGH-ENERGY COSMIC RAYS DETECTED WITH THE YAKUTSK ARRAY

This paper presents the results of searches for anisotropy in the arrival directions of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (CRs) detected with the Yakutsk Array during the 1974–2008 observational period as well as searches in available data from other giant extensive air shower arrays working at present. A method of analysis based on a comparison of the minimum width of distributions in equatorial coordinates is used. As a result, a hypothesis of isotropy in arrival directions is rejected at the 99.5% significance level. The observed decrease in the minimum width of the distribution can be explained by the presence of CR sources in energy intervals and sky regions according to recent indications inferred from data of the Yakutsk Array and Telescope Array experiments.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

First results from the microwave air yield beam experiment (MAYBE): Measurement of GHz radiation for ultra-high energy cosmic ray detection

We present measurements of microwave emission from an electron-beam induced air plasma performed at the 3 MeV electron Van de Graaff facility of the Argonne National Laboratory. Results include the emission spectrum between 1 and 15 GHz, the polarization of the microwave radiation and the scaling of the emitted power with respect to beam intensity. MAYBE measurements provide further insight on microwave emission from extensive air showers as a novel detection technique for Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2011

The Microwave Air Yield Beam Experiment (MAYBE): Measurement of GHz radiation for Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays detection

We present first measurements by MAYBE of microwave emission from an electron beam induced air plasma, performed at the electron Van de Graaff facility of the Argonne National Laboratory. Coherent radio Cherenkov, a major background in a previous beam experiment, is not produced by the 3 MeV beam, which simplifies the interpretation of the data. Radio emission is studied over a wide range of frequencies between 3 and 12 GHz. This measurement provides further insight on microwave emission from extensive air showers as a novel detection technique for Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2015

Adaptive linear predictor FIR filter based on the Cyclone V FPGA with HPS to reduce narrow band RFI in AERA radio detection of cosmic rays

We present the new approach to a filtering of radio frequency interferences (RFI) in the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) which study the electromagnetic part of the Extensive Air Showers. The radio stations can observe radio signals caused by coherent emissions due to geomagnetic radiation and charge excess processes. AERA observes frequency band from 30 to 80 MHz. This range is highly contaminated by human-made RFI. In order to improve the signal to noise ratio RFI filters are used in AERA to suppress this contamination. The first kind of filter used by AERA was the Median one, based on the Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) technique. The second one, which is currently in use, is the infinite impulse response (IIR) notch filter. The proposed new filter is a finite impulse response (FIR) filter based on a linear prediction (LP). A periodic contamination hidden in a registered signal (digitized in the ADC) can be extracted and next subtracted to make signal cleaner. The FIR filter requires a calculation of n=32, 64 or even 128 coefficients (dependent on a required speed or accuracy) by solving of n linear equations with coefficients built from the covariance Toeplitz matrix. This matrix can be solved by the Levinson recursion, which is much faster than the Gauss procedure. The filter has been already tested in the real AERA radio stations on Argentinean pampas with a very successful results. The linear equations were solved either in the virtual soft-core NIOSR processor (implemented in the FPGA chip as a net of logic elements) or in the external Voipac PXA270M ARM processor. The NIOS processor is relatively slow (50 MHz internal clock), calculations performed in an external processor consume a significant amount of time for data exchange between the FPGA and the processor. Test showed a very good efficiency of the RFI suppression for stationary (long-term) contaminations. However, we observed a short-time contaminations, which could not be suppressed either by the IIR-notch filter or by the FIR filter based on the linear predictions. For the LP FIR filter the refreshment time of the filter coefficients was to long and filter did not keep up with the changes of a contamination structure, mainly due to a long calculation time in a slow processors. We propose to use the Cyclone V SE chip with embedded micro-controller operating with 925 MHz internal clock to significantly reduce a refreshment time of the FIR coefficients. The lab results are promising. (authors)

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2019

Origin of the Short-Term Variations of the Cosmic Ray Flux

Detection of cosmic ray fluxes makes it possible to study dynamics of the interplanetary magnetic field and gain information about processes that occur both on the solar surface and in the entire Solar system. The main variations in the cosmic ray intensity are 27-day variations and Forbush effects. These variations are caused by complex spatial solar-plasma formations resulting from various processes on the solar surface and propagating in space with widely varying velocities. The data recorded by the PAMELA magnetic spectrometer on board the Resurs-DK1 satellite in 2006–2016 are used.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2016

Method for registration of solar cosmic rays by detecting neutrons

We consider a method of detecting the ionizing component of solar cosmic rays (SCRs) with energy from tens of MeV to tens of GeV by measuring the energy loss of SCR protons and light nuclei in scintillators and the multiplicity of the local neutron generation in a converter. Scintillation detectors based on stilbene, lithium glass, and solid-state photomultiplier tubes are capable of detecting fast neutrons with a temporal resolution of 10 ns and rejecting the gamma-ray background in the measuring system. The method will allow investigating the nucleon components of primary SCRs in circumterrestrial space.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2013

Progress in ultra high energy neutrino experiments using radio techniques

Studying the source of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Ray (UHECR) can provide important clues on the understanding of UHE particle physics, astrophysics, and other extremely energetic phenomena in the universe. However, charged CR particles are deflected by magnetic fields and can not point back to the source. Furthermore, UHECR charged particles above the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) cutoff (about 5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 19} eV) suffer severe energy loss due to the interaction with the Cosmic Microwave Background Radiation (CMBR). Consequently almost all the information carried by CR particles about their origin is lost. Neutrinos, which are neutral particles and have extremely weak interactions with other materials can arrive at the earth without deflection and absorption. Therefore UHE neutrinos can be traced back to the place where they are produced. Due to their weak interaction and ultra high energies (thus extremely low flux) the detection of UHE neutrinos requires a large collecting area and massive amounts of material. Cherenkov detection at radio frequency, which has long attenuation lengths and can travel freely in natural dense medium (ice, rock and salt et al), can fulfill the detection requirement. Many UHE neutrino experiments are being performed by radio techniques using natural ice, lunar, and salt as detection mediums. These experiments have obtained much data about radio production, propagation and detection, and the upper limit of UHE neutrino flux.

46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND ↗
DOE OSTI2015

Cosmic rays muon flux measurements at Belgrade shallow underground laboratory

The Belgrade underground laboratory is a shallow underground one, at 25 meters of water equivalent. It is dedicated to low-background spectroscopy and cosmic rays measurement. Its uniqueness is that it is composed of two parts, one above ground, the other bellow with identical sets of detectors and analyzing electronics thus creating opportunity to monitor simultaneously muon flux and ambient radiation. We investigate the possibility of utilizing measurements at the shallow depth for the study of muons, processes to which these muons are sensitive and processes induced by cosmic rays muons. For this purpose a series of simulations of muon generation and propagation is done, based on the CORSIKA air shower simulation package and GEANT4. Results show good agreement with other laboratories and cosmic rays stations.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

Possible explanation for the low flux of high energy astrophysical muon neutrinos

I consider the possibility that some exotic neutrino property is responsible for reducing the muon neutrino flux at high energies from distant sources; specifically, (i) neutrino decay and (ii) neutrinos being pseudo-Dirac particles. This would provide a mechanism for the lack of high energy muon events in the Icecube detector.

72 PHYSICS OF ELEMENTARY PARTICLES AND FIELDS↗
DOE OSTI2012

A SEARCH FOR POINT SOURCES OF EeV NEUTRONS

A thorough search of the sky exposed at the Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory reveals no statistically significant excess of events in any small solid angle that would be indicative of a flux of neutral particles from a discrete source. The search covers from -90 Degree-Sign to +15 Degree-Sign in declination using four different energy ranges above 1 EeV (10{sup 18} eV). The method used in this search is more sensitive to neutrons than to photons. The upper limit on a neutron flux is derived for a dense grid of directions for each of the four energy ranges. These results constrain scenarios for the production of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays in the Galaxy.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗
DOE OSTI2013

CENTAURUS A AS A POINT SOURCE OF ULTRAHIGH ENERGY COSMIC RAYS

We probe the possibility that Centaurus A (Cen A) is a point source of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) observed by Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO), through the statistical analysis of the arrival direction distribution. For this purpose, we set up the Cen A dominance model for the UHECR sources, in which Cen A contributes the fraction f {sub C} of the whole UHECR with energy above 5.5 Multiplication-Sign 10{sup 19} eV and the isotropic background contributes the remaining 1 - f {sub C} fraction. The effect of the intergalactic magnetic fields on the bending of the trajectory of Cen A originated UHECRs is parameterized by the Gaussian smearing angle {theta} {sub s}. For the statistical analysis, we adopted the correlational angular distance distribution (CADD) for the reduction of the arrival direction distribution and the Kuiper test to compare the observed and the expected CADDs. We identify the excess of UHECRs in the Cen A direction and fit the CADD of the observed PAO data by varying two parameters f {sub C} and {theta} {sub s} of the Cen A dominance model. The best-fit parameter values are f {sub C} Almost-Equal-To 0.1 (the corresponding Cen A fraction observed at PAO is f {sub C,PAO} Almost-Equal-To 0.15, that is, about 10 out of 69 UHECRs) and {theta} {sub s} = 5 Degree-Sign with the maximum likelihood L {sub max} = 0.29. This result supports the existence of a point source smeared by the intergalactic magnetic fields in the direction of Cen A. If Cen A is actually the source responsible for the observed excess of UHECRs, the rms deflection angle of the excess UHECRs implies the order of 10 nG intergalactic magnetic field in the vicinity of Cen A.

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS↗