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Author Pierre Auger Collaboration (Abreu, P. et al); Pastor, S.
Title The rapid atmospheric monitoring system of the Pierre Auger Observatory Type Journal Article
Year 2012 Publication (down) Journal of Instrumentation Abbreviated Journal J. Instrum.
Volume 7 Issue Pages P09001 - 41pp
Keywords Large detector systems for particle and astroparticle physics; Real-time monitoring; Control and monitor systems online
Abstract The Pierre Auger Observatory is a facility built to detect air showers produced by cosmic rays above 10(17) eV. During clear nights with a low illuminated moon fraction, the UV fluorescence light produced by air showers is recorded by optical telescopes at the Observatory. To correct the observations for variations in atmospheric conditions, atmospheric monitoring is performed at regular intervals ranging from several minutes (for cloud identification) to several hours (for aerosol conditions) to several days (for vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, and humidity). In 2009, the monitoring program was upgraded to allow for additional targeted measurements of atmospheric conditions shortly after the detection of air showers of special interest, e. g., showers produced by very high-energy cosmic rays or showers with atypical longitudinal profiles. The former events are of particular importance for the determination of the energy scale of the Observatory, and the latter are characteristic of unusual air shower physics or exotic primary particle types. The purpose of targeted (or “rapid”) monitoring is to improve the resolution of the atmospheric measurements for such events. In this paper, we report on the implementation of the rapid monitoring program and its current status. The rapid monitoring data have been analyzed and applied to the reconstruction of air showers of high interest, and indicate that the air fluorescence measurements affected by clouds and aerosols are effectively corrected using measurements from the regular atmospheric monitoring program. We find that the rapid monitoring program has potential for supporting dedicated physics analyses beyond the standard event reconstruction.
Address [Abreu, P.; Andringa, S.; Assis, P.; Brogueira, P.; Cazon, L.; Conceicao, R.; Diogo, F.; Espadanal, J.; Goncalves, P.; Pimenta, M.; Santo, C. E.; Santos, E.; Tome, B.] Univ Tecn Lisboa, LIP, P-1100 Lisbon, Portugal
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1748-0221 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000309547100003 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1233
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Author Pierre Auger Collaboration (Abreu, P. et al); Pastor, S.
Title Antennas for the detection of radio emission pulses from cosmic-ray induced air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory Type Journal Article
Year 2012 Publication (down) Journal of Instrumentation Abbreviated Journal J. Instrum.
Volume 7 Issue Pages P10011 - 49pp
Keywords Large detector systems for particle and astroparticle physics; Antennas
Abstract The Pierre Auger Observatory is exploring the potential of the radio detection technique to study extensive air showers induced by ultra-high energy cosmic rays. The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) addresses both technological and scientific aspects of the radio technique. A first phase of AERA has been operating since September 2010 with detector stations observing radio signals at frequencies between 30 and 80 MHz. In this paper we present comparative studies to identify and optimize the antenna design for the final configuration of AERA consisting of 160 individual radio detector stations. The transient nature of the air shower signal requires a detailed description of the antenna sensor. As the ultra-wideband reception of pulses is not widely discussed in antenna literature, we review the relevant antenna characteristics and enhance theoretical considerations towards the impulse response of antennas including polarization effects and multiple signal reflections. On the basis of the vector effective length we study the transient response characteristics of three candidate antennas in the time domain. Observing the variation of the continuous galactic background intensity we rank the antennas with respect to the noise level added to the galactic signal.
Address [Abreu, P.; Andringa, S.; Assis, P.; Brogueira, P.; Cazon, L.; Conceicao, R.; Diogo, F.; Espadanal, J.; Goncalves, P.; Pimenta, M.; Santo, C. E.; Santos, E.; Tome, B.] Univ Tecn Lisboa, LIP, Lisbon, Portugal
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1748-0221 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000310834800021 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1276
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Author Pierre Auger Collaboration (Abreu, P. et al); Pastor, S.
Title Techniques for measuring aerosol attenuation using the Central Laser Facility at the Pierre Auger Observatory Type Journal Article
Year 2013 Publication (down) Journal of Instrumentation Abbreviated Journal J. Instrum.
Volume 8 Issue Pages P04009 - 28pp
Keywords Data analysis; Large detector systems for particle and astroparticle physics; Detector alignment and calibration methods (lasers, sources, particle-beams)
Abstract The Pierre Auger Observatory in Malargue, Argentina, is designed to study the properties of ultra-high energy cosmic rays with energies above 10(18) eV. It is a hybrid facility that employs a Fluorescence Detector to perform nearly calorimetric measurements of Extensive Air Shower energies. To obtain reliable calorimetric information from the FD, the atmospheric conditions at the observatory need to be continuously monitored during data acquisition. In particular, light attenuation due to aerosols is an important atmospheric correction. The aerosol concentration is highly variable, so that the aerosol attenuation needs to be evaluated hourly. We use light from the Central Laser Facility, located near the center of the observatory site, having an optical signature comparable to that of the highest energy showers detected by the FD. This paper presents two procedures developed to retrieve the aerosol attenuation of fluorescence light from CLF laser shots. Cross checks between the two methods demonstrate that results from both analyses are compatible, and that the uncertainties are well understood. The measurements of the aerosol attenuation provided by the two procedures are currently used at the Pierre Auger Observatory to reconstruct air shower data.
Address Ctr Atom Bariloche, San Carlos De Bariloche, Rio Negro, Argentina
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1748-0221 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes WOS:000317462400016 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ pastor @ Serial 1413
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Author Mangano, G.; Miele, G.; Pastor, S.; Pisanti, O.; Sarikas, S.
Title Constraining the cosmic radiation density due to lepton number with Big Bang Nucleosynthesis Type Journal Article
Year 2011 Publication (down) Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Abbreviated Journal J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.
Volume 03 Issue 3 Pages 035 - 18pp
Keywords big bang nucleosynthesis; neutrino properties; cosmological neutrinos; physics of the early universe
Abstract The cosmic energy density in the form of radiation before and during Big Bang Nucleosynthesis (BBN) is typically parameterized in terms of the effective number of neutrinos N-eff. This quantity, in case of no extra degrees of freedom, depends upon the chemical potential and the temperature characterizing the three active neutrino distributions, as well as by their possible non-thermal features. In the present analysis we determine the upper bounds that BBN places on N-eff from primordial neutrino-antineutrino asymmetries, with a careful treatment of the dynamics of neutrino oscillations. We consider quite a wide range for the total lepton number in the neutrino sector, eta(nu) = eta(nu e) + eta(nu mu) + eta(nu tau) and the initial electron neutrino asymmetry eta(in)(nu e), solving the corresponding kinetic equations which rule the dynamics of neutrino (antineutrino) distributions in phase space due to collisions, pair processes and flavor oscillations. New bounds on both the total lepton number in the neutrino sector and the nu(e)-(nu) over bar (e) asymmetry at the onset of BBN are obtained fully exploiting the time evolution of neutrino distributions, as well as the most recent determinations of primordial H-2/H density ratio and He-4 mass fraction. Note that taking the baryon fraction as measured by WMAP, the H-2/H abundance plays a relevant role in constraining the allowed regions in the eta(nu)-eta(in)(nu e) plane. These bounds fix the maximum contribution of neutrinos with primordial asymmetries to N-eff as a function of the mixing parameter theta(13), and point out the upper bound N-eff less than or similar to 3.4. Comparing these results with the forthcoming measurement of N-eff by the Planck satellite will likely provide insight on the nature of the radiation content of the universe.
Address [Mangano, Gianpiero; Miele, Gennaro; Pisanti, Ofelia; Sarikas, Srdjan] Ist Nazl Fis Nucl, Sez Napoli, I-80126 Naples, Italy, Email: mangano@na.infn.it
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1475-7516 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes ISI:000291258300035 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ elepoucu @ Serial 642
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Author Pierre Auger Collaboration (Abreu, P. et al); Pastor, S.
Title Anisotropy and chemical composition of ultra-high energy cosmic rays using arrival directions measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory Type Journal Article
Year 2011 Publication (down) Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics Abbreviated Journal J. Cosmol. Astropart. Phys.
Volume 06 Issue 6 Pages 022 - 17pp
Keywords ultra high energy cosmic rays; cosmic ray experiments
Abstract The Pierre Auger Collaboration has reported. evidence for anisotropy in the distribution of arrival directions of the cosmic rays with energies E > E-th = 5.5 x 10(19) eV. These show a correlation with the distribution of nearby extragalactic objects, including an apparent excess around the direction of Centaurus A. If the particles responsible for these excesses at E > E-th are heavy nuclei with charge Z, the proton component of the sources should lead to excesses in the same regions at energies E/Z. We here report the lack of anisotropies in these directions at energies above E-th/Z (for illustrative values of Z = 6, 13, 26). If the anisotropies above E-th are due to nuclei with charge Z, and under reasonable assumptions about the acceleration process, these observations imply stringent constraints on the allowed proton fraction at the lower energies.
Address [Abreu, P.; Andringa, S.; Assis, P.; Brogueira, P.; Cazon, L.; Conceicao, R.; Goncalves, P.; Pimenta, M.; Santo, C. E.; Santos, E.; Tome, B.] LIP, P-1000 Lisbon, Portugal, Email: auger_spokepersons@fnal.gov
Corporate Author Thesis
Publisher Iop Publishing Ltd Place of Publication Editor
Language English Summary Language Original Title
Series Editor Series Title Abbreviated Series Title
Series Volume Series Issue Edition
ISSN 1475-7516 ISBN Medium
Area Expedition Conference
Notes ISI:000292332400022 Approved no
Is ISI yes International Collaboration yes
Call Number IFIC @ elepoucu @ Serial 676
Permanent link to this record