Experimental Particle Astrophysics

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This is an award to support a research and education program in cosmic ray astrophysics with the goals of furthering our understanding of the origin and nature of the highest energy particles ever observed; developing a richer understanding of particle physics at high energies; and pursuing a vigorous program of outreach to students, colleagues from other disciplines and the general public.The experimental program will focus on the Pierre Auger Observatory, an instrument built in Argentina to investigate the origin and nature of cosmic rays with energies above about 10^19 eV, so called "Ultrahigh Energy Cosmic Rays" (UHECRs). Data from the Observatory will help to answer the most fundamental questions about cosmic ray origins, composition, acceleration mechanisms, and propagation effects and may shed light on hadronic physics at center-of-mass energies up to ~ 400 TeV, well beyond the reach of the Large Hadron Collider. The group plays a prominent role in the collaboration: they currently lead the offline software program, which constitutes the centerpiece of Auger analysis and have made significant contributions to physics analysis, especially in the fields of composition and studies of strong interaction physics. This award will enable them to continue their lead role in software and computing and in analyses related to composition and hadronic interactions.Broader Impact: The software co-developed for the Observatory has proven to be applicable to other experiments. The PI maintains a vigorous outreach program including mentoring students, writing regular newspaper and magazine columns, and making radio and television appearances in several countries conducted in several languages.