Study of Highest Energy Cosmic Rays

该提案要求支持芝加哥大学的一个小组参与皮埃尔·奥格天文台的建设。皮埃尔·奥格天文台建成后，将由两个宇宙射线探测器组成，其中一个目前正在阿根廷的马拉格尔建造，另一个最终将在犹他州建造。每个观测站将由1600个粒子探测器组成，以探测分布在3000平方公里范围内的切伦科夫光为基础，与大气荧光探测器相辅相成。这种排列经过优化，以最大效率探测能量大于1019电子伏特的初级宇宙射线引发的阵雨。南方天文台是由18个国家联合建造的。美国对南部5000万美元建设项目的贡献中，750万美元来自美国国家科学基金会（PHY-9979239）和美国能源部，另外200万美元来自费米实验室的项目支持。目前，一个由40个表面粒子探测器和两个荧光探测器组成的工程阵列即将完成。为了验证整个设计，包括单个探测器、太阳能、无线通信和GPS定时，这是必要的。芝加哥小组参与了该项目的许多方面。PI是整个项目的发言人，并且是美国建筑奖（9979239）及其DOE对应项目的PI。他一直负责该项目的科学指导。肯·吉布斯（Ken Gibbs）负责工程阵列的勘测工作，他正在为整个阵列的勘测和安装以及气象监测站的安装制定计划。布赖恩·菲克（Brian Fick）开发了气象监测仪，是开发混合软件的任务负责人，该软件将来自表面和荧光探测器的数据结合起来。Paul Sommers是荧光探测器的负责人。

This proposal requests support for a University of Chicago group for its participation in the construction of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The Pierre Auger Observatory, when completed, is intended to consist of two cosmic ray detectors, one presently under construction in Malargue Argentina, and the other eventually to be in Utah. Each observatory will consist of an array of 1600 particle detectors based on detecting Cherenkov light spread over 3000 square kilometers complements with atmospheric fluorescence detectors. The arrangement is optimized to detect with maximum efficiency showers initiated by primary cosmic rays with energy greater than 1019 electron volts.The southern observatory is being built by a consortium of eighteen nations. The US contribution to the southern $50 million construction project is $7.5 million coming equally from the NSF (PHY-9979239) and the DOE, with an additional $2 million in project support from Fermilab. At the present time an engineering array of 40 surface particle detectors and two fluorescence detectors is nearing completion. This is necessary in order to verify the entire design including the individual detectors, solar power, wireless communications, and GPS timing.The Chicago group has participated in many aspects of the project. The PI is the spokesman for the entire project, and is the PI for the US construction award (9979239) and its DOE counterpart. He has been responsible for the scientific direction of the project. Ken Gibbs has directed the survey for the engineering array, is developing plans for the survey and installation of the full array, and installation of the weather monitoring stations. Brian Fick has developed the weather monitors and is task leader for development of the hybrid software, which combines data from the surface and fluorescence detectors. Paul Sommers is the task leader for the fluorescence detectors.