Experimental Particle Astrophysics with the Pierre Auger Observatory and TOTEM

该奖项是根据2009年《美国复苏和再投资法案》(公法111-5)提供资金的。它将为该小组与皮埃尔·奥格尔天文台(PAO)的研究活动提供支持，以追寻最高能量宇宙线的起源。PAO是世界上最大的测量能量超过10**20 eV的能量宇宙射线的实验和到达方向。宇宙射线的起源在粒子天体物理学中仍然是一个深刻而引人注目的谜团。PAO是一种混合探测器，由两个探测器系统组成：(1)1,600个水-切伦科夫表面探测器站阵列，分布在3,000平方公里内，用于探测地面上的空气簇射粒子；(2)一套由4个荧光探测器望远镜组成的望远镜，提供宇宙线簇射在大气中传播时的发展的热量测量。位于阿根廷马拉格附近的鲍尔现在已经完成并收集数据。在过去的两年里，来自奥格尔的第一批重大科学成果已经公布。这些结果包括最高能量宇宙线到达方向上的能谱和各向异性的探测，这似乎与相对邻近的银河系附近的大尺度物质的分布有关。Case West团队正在推动一项新的分析工作，以考虑随着从俄歇收集的事件数量的增加，在“宇宙射线天文学”的背景下可能会发生什么。他们还继续领导GPS事件计时和校准工作，与科罗拉多矿业学院的同事密切合作，开发和部署位于俄歇阵列中心的新激光校准设施。这项工作对粒子天体物理学以外的几个领域产生了更广泛的影响。该协会积极参与各种教育和外展项目，包括为高中教师提供物理科学指导的项目。该小组开发的使用GPS接收器和非成像光学集中器进行精确的几纳秒计时的方法在其他技术领域也有更广泛的影响。

This award is funded under the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 (Public Law 111-5). It will provide support for the research activities of this group with the Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO) in pursuit of the origins of the highest energy cosmic rays. The PAO is the world's largest experiment to measure the energy and arrival direction of energy cosmic rays with energies above 10**20 eV. The origin of cosmic rays remains a profound and compelling mystery in particle astrophysics. PAO is a hybrid detector consisting of two detector systems: (1) an array of 1,600 water-Cherenkov Surface Detector stations spread over 3,000 square kilometers for detecting air shower particles on the ground; and (2) a set of four Fluorescence Detector telescopes which provide calorimetric measurements of the development of cosmic ray showers as they propagate through the atmosphere. Located near Malargue, Argentina, PAO is now complete and collecting data.During the past two years, the first major scientific results from Auger have been published. These results include an energy spectrum and the detection of anisotropy in the arrival directions of the highest energy cosmic rays which appear correlated with the distribution of large scale matter in the relatively nearby galactic neighborhood. The Case Western group is pushing a new analysis effort to consider what might be possible in the context of "cosmic ray astronomy" as the number of events collected from Auger increases. They also continue to lead the effort on GPS event timing and calibration, working closely with their colleagues at the Colorado School of Mines to develop and deploy a new laser calibration facility located at the center of the Auger array. This work has a broader impact on several areas outside of particle astrophysics. The PI is active in a variety of education and outreach programs, including a program for physical science instruction for high school teachers. Methods developed by the group for precise few-nanosecond timing using GPS receivers and non-imaging optical concentrators also have a broader impact in other technical fields.