Studies of the Highest Energy Cosmic Rays with the Auger Observatory

该提案要求支持俄亥俄州立大学（OSU）的一个小组在皮埃尔·奥格天文台（PAO）工作。PAO是一个旨在研究超过10^19 eV的最高能量宇宙射线的国际项目。宇宙中这些能量最高的粒子非常罕见，阐明它们起源的奥秘是现代天体物理学的关键挑战之一。由于Greisen（1966）和Zatzepin和Kuz'min（1966）提出的与宇宙微波背景辐射相互作用时能量损失导致的截止存在，AGASA表面阵列和HiRes空气荧光实验之间的明显分歧进一步混淆了这个谜团。位于阿根廷西部的南部PAO站点是迄今为止建造的最大的风淋阵，有450多个表面探测器正在运行，一半的荧光望远镜已经安装。OSU集团在表面探测器电子链的设计、集成、调试和管理方面发挥了至关重要的作用。PI在项目管理结构中担任表面探测器电子任务负责人。该小组的成员花了相当多的时间在现场调试工程阵列和预生产探测器，并参与了许多用于操作地面阵列的软件的开发和调试。他们计划继续支持探测器的安装、调试和操作，并参与俄歇数据的分析。他们一直积极参与公众活动，并为学生和其他人提供了解所涉及的迷人科学的机会，带领他们参观美国和阿根廷的设施。

This proposal requests support for an Ohio State University (OSU) group to work on the Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO). The PAO is an international project aimed at the study of the highest energy cosmic rays, beyond 10^19 eV. These highest energy particles in the Universe are very rare, and the elucidation of the mystery of their origin is one of the key challenges in modern astrophysics. This mystery is further confounded by an apparent disagreement between the AGASA surface array and the HiRes air fluorescence experiments concerning the existence of a cutoff due to energy loss in interactions with the cosmic microwave background radiation, as proposed by Greisen(1966) and by Zatzepin and Kuz'min(1966). The southern PAO site, located in western Argentina, is now the largest air shower array ever constructed, with over 450 surface detectors operating and half of the fluorescence telescopes installed. The OSU group has played a vital role in the design, integration, commissioning, and management of the surface detector electronics chain. The PI serves as the surface detector electronics task leader in the project's management structure. Members of the group have spent considerable time in the field commissioning the engineering array and pre-production detectors, and have participated in the development and debugging of much of the software used in operating the surface array. They plan to continue their activities in support of detector installation, commissioning, and operation, and their participation in analysis of the Auger data. They have been active in engaging the public and providing opportunities for understanding of the fascinating science involved, by conducting tours of the facilities both in the U.S. and in Argentina for schoolchildren and others.