Particle Astrophysics with the Pierre Auger Observatory and Simulations of Ultrahigh Energy Air Showers

该奖项是根据2009年美国复苏和再投资法案（公法111-5）资助的。皮埃尔俄歇天文台（PAO）的建设已经完成。根据该奖项进行的工作将提高俄歇的能力，以确定超高能宇宙射线（UHECRs）的能量和成分，并将使用俄歇数据来解决粒子天体物理学的基本问题。 PI计划：改进大气簇射模型，特别是确保模拟的簇射正确地描述俄歇数据以及KASCADE和MINOS实验的观测。到目前为止，国际上的努力都失败了，这表明超高能粒子相互作用的新物理学可能是原因;--改进单个UHECR空气簇射的重建并确定初级粒子的组成; --分析俄歇数据以解决天体物理学问题。特别是，实施最近开发的优化方法的相关性研究，以确定集群的事件从一个共同的来源，尽管磁偏转和工作，以确定源的UHECRs.Broader的影响：对社会的影响，根据这项建议包括：--本科生参与研究，特别注意将采取识别，包括和辅导候选人从代表性不足的群体。- PI举办了许多公开讲座，并积极指导所有年龄段的女学生和女教师。- 纽约学校宇宙粒子望远镜项目正在由PI及其小组与高中学生和教师以及社区人士合作开发。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). The construction of the Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO) is now complete. Work carried out under this award will enhance Auger's ability to determine Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) energies and composition and will use Auger data to address fundamental questions in Particle Astrophysics. The PI plans to: --Improve atmospheric shower modeling, in particular assuring that simulated showers correctly describe Auger data as well as observations of the KASCADE and MINOS experiments. Intense international effort has failed so far, suggesting that new physics in ultra-high-energy particle interactions might be responsible;--Improve the reconstruction of individual UHECR air showers and determine the primary particle's composition; --Analyze Auger data to address astrophysical questions. In particular, to implement recently developed optimized methods for correlation studies, to identify clusters of events from a common source in spite of magnetic deflections and to work to identify the sources of UHECRs.Broader Impacts: Impacts on society under this proposal include: --Undergraduate participation in the research; particular care will be taken to identify, include and mentor candidates from underrepresented groups. --The PI gives many public lectures, and is active in mentoring women students and faculty of all ages. --The New York Schools Cosmic Particle Telescope project is being developed by the PI and her group, in collaboration with high school students and teachers and persons from the community.