Collaborative International Research on High Resolution Charge Measurements with Direct Cerenkov Light

这项研究将审查在宇宙射线空气簇射中观测“直接切伦科夫”光的可能性，以便对入射宇宙射线的初级电荷进行高分辨率测量。该技术利用了带电的初级宇宙射线与地球大气相互作用时发出的空气切伦科夫光的图像细节。.这项研究的结果可能导致一种新的能力，可能揭示高能宇宙射线的起源，也可能提供新的能力，对改进高能伽马射线天文学的研究，模拟广泛的空气簇射中的核相互作用，以及寻找罕见的，宇宙射线中的奇异电荷状态，如磁单极子和“夸克物质”。现有的两个伽马射线观测站的数据可能（HEGRA和日本七望远镜阵列）可能有足够的分辨率，开始看到宇宙射线在大气中传播时直接切伦科夫光发射的第一个特征。即使在少数宇宙线空气簇射中也能明确识别出直接切伦科夫光，这将为这种光在高能天体物理学研究中作为一种有用的工具提供证据。可以解决的一个关键问题是直接切伦科夫光是否可以明确识别。通过使用伽马射线观测站的存档数据，有可能快速验证这种新的高分辨率测量技术的准确性。本提案的第二个目标是发展重元素与大气宇宙射线相互作用的模拟（核质量比铁重），并通过与高分辨率蝇眼的存档数据进行比较，使用这些模拟来确定这些颗粒的可靠通量限制和布兰卡宇宙射线观测站。这项研究将支持开发一个现实的重核模拟，可以模拟这些粒子在地球大气层中的相互作用。 由此产生的重核模拟工具将提供给一般社区，以及一个数据库的模拟事件。本研究提供了国际旅行的PI进行分析的数据在他们的HEGRA和日本的数据库，以及一些本科生的研究支持。本科研究将包括犹他州大学的学生，让他们直接参与档案数据的处理和分析以及重核模拟数据库的开发。学生将参与物理学和天文学当前主题的每周科学讨论，并在大学研讨会和区域美国物理学会会议上展示他们的工作成果。

This research will examine the possibility of observing `Direct Cherenkov' light in cosmic ray air showers to provide high resolution measurement of the primary charge of the incoming cosmic ray. The technique exploits the details of images of air Cherenkov light emitted by the charged primary cosmic rays as they interact with the Earth's atmosphere. . The results of this research may lead to a new capability which may shed light on the origin of high energy cosmic rays, and may also provide new capabilities with implications for improved research in high energy gamma ray astronomy, simulations of nuclear interactions in extensive air showers, and searches for rare, exotic charge states in cosmic rays such as magnetic monopoles and ``quark matter''.It is possible that data from the two existing Gamma Ray observatories (HEGRA and the Japanese Seven Telescope Array) may have sufficient resolution to begin to see the first signatures of Direct Cherenkov light emission in cosmic rays as they propagate through the atmosphere. The unambiguous identification of Direct Cherenkov light in even a few cosmic ray air showers would provide evidence that this light may be employed as a useful tool in high energy astrophysics studies. A key question that may be resolved is whether Direct Cherenkov light can be unambiguously identified. By using the archival Gamma Ray Observatory data, it may be possible to quickly verify the accuracy of this new high-resolution measurement technique.A second goal of this proposal is to develop simulations of atmospheric cosmic ray interactions by heavy elements (nuclear mass heavier than Iron), and use these simulations to establish reliable flux limits on these particles through comparison with archival data from the High Resolution Fly's Eye and BLANCA cosmic ray observatories. The research will support development of a realistic heavy nuclei simulation that can provide simulation of these particle interactions in the Earth's atmosphere. The resulting heavy nuclei simulation tools will be made available to the general community, as well as a database of simulated events.This research provides support for international travel by the PI to perform the analysis on the data in their HEGRA and Japanese databases as well as some undergraduate student research support. The undergraduate research will include students at the University of Utah by involving them directly in the processing and analysis of the archival data as well as development of the heavy nuclei simulation database. Students will become involved with weekly science discussions of current topics in physics and astronomy as well as present results of their work in University seminars and regional American Physical Society meetings.