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·奥格天文台（PAO）的建设现已完成。根据该奖项开展的工作将增强俄歇确定超高能宇宙射线（uhecr）能量和组成的能力，并将利用俄歇数据解决粒子天体物理学中的基本问题。PI计划：改进大气阵雨模型，特别是确保模拟阵雨正确描述俄歇数据以及KASCADE和MINOS实验的观测结果。到目前为止，国际上的大量努力都失败了，这表明超高能量粒子相互作用的新物理学可能是罪魁祸首；——改进单个UHECR风淋的重建，确定初级颗粒的组成；——分析俄歇数据，解决天体物理问题。特别是，实施最近开发的相关研究的优化方法，在磁偏转的情况下识别来自共同来源的事件簇，并努力识别uhecr的来源。更广泛的影响：本提案对社会的影响包括：-本科生参与研究；将特别注意确定、纳入和指导来自代表性不足群体的候选人。——PI举办了多次公开讲座，并积极指导各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和她的团队与高中生、教师和社区人士合作开发。

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.