Study of the Highest Energy Cosmic Rays with the Pierre Auger Observatory

目前对能谱、各向异性、粒子组成和质子-空气截面的测量表明，皮埃尔·俄歇天文台对高能宇宙有着前所未有的看法，并能在LHC之外的能量上获得粒子物理学。随着Auger现在在其完整配置的表面探测器（SD）站和空气荧光探测器（FD）中运行，迄今为止收集的数据呈现出有趣的难题和令人兴奋的机会。对60 EeV以上能谱的抑制意味着一种GZK或类似GZK的效应，它屏蔽了各向同性的遥远宇宙。高于55 EeV的事件显示出在这个视界内存在河外各向异性的迹象。FD延伸率测量目前仅延伸到30 EeV，但建议从较轻到较重的原色过渡，或瞥见LHC能量之外的新物理。这些测量对最高能量来源的性质有很强的影响。该奖项将支持该小组领导完成天文台大气激光测试光束系统套件的升级工作。脉冲激光探测俄歇巨大的动态大气热量计，并在FD中产生类似空气的轨迹。计划中的应用包括监测FD的端到端绝对光度校准，使其优于5%，这是降低能量标度不确定性的必要步骤。这对确定GZK层位的体积有意义。其他应用包括通过拉曼激光雷达对最大时变校准项（气溶胶光学厚度）进行独立精确测量。这个小组还将扩展他们已经开发的方法来寻找奇异粒子。一种测量广泛的空气簇射速度的技术已被用于激光射击，然后应用于立体声和混合事件。该技术对以光速的一小部分行进的大规模外来物体敏感，这些物体能够在FD中产生光学特征。在该奖项下计划的更广泛的影响是发展与一所地区高中的关系，为有风险的青年。该小组设想了一个物理演示计划，利用为矿山现代物理课程开发的材料，包括云室和符合粒子探测器。气溶胶在气候强迫中的作用还没有得到很好的理解。南半球的气溶胶廓线测量相对较少。拉曼激光雷达是一种标准技术，既能提高俄歇大气数据的有用性，又能与大气科学界的数据进行更直接的比较。

The current measurements of energy spectra, anisotropy, particle composition, and proton-air cross section demonstrate that the Pierre Auger Observatory has an unprecedented view of the high-energy Universe and access to particle physics at energies beyond the LHC. With Auger now operating in its full configuration of Surface Detector (SD) stations and air Fluorescence Detectors (FD), the data collected thus far presents interesting puzzles and exciting opportunities. The suppression of the energy spectrum above 60 EeV implies a Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuzmin (GZK) or GZK-like effect that screens the isotropic distant Universe. Events above 55 EeV show hints of extra-galactic anisotropy within this horizon. FD elongation rate measurements currently extend only to 30 EeV but suggest either a transition from lighter to heavier primaries, or a glimpse of new physics beyond LHC energies. These measurements have strong implications about the nature of the highest energy sources. This award will support this group in leading the effort to complete an upgrade to the suite of atmospheric laser test beam systems at the Observatory. Pulsed lasers probe Auger's enormous dynamic atmospheric calorimeter and generate air shower-like tracks in the FDs. Planned applications include monitoring the end-to-end absolute photometric calibration of the FD to better than 5%, a necessary step to reduce the uncertainty on the energy scale. This has implication in the determination of the volume up to the GZK horizon. Other applications include an independent precision measurement of the largest time-varying calibration term (aerosol optical depth) via Raman LIDAR. This group will also extend methods that they have developed to search for exotic particles. A technique to measure the speed of extensive air showers has been benchmarked against laser shots and then applied to stereo and hybrid events. The technique is sensitive to massive exotic objects traveling at a fraction of the speed of light that are able to generate an optical signature in the FD. Among the Broader Impacts planned under this award is the development of a relationship with an area high school for at-risk youth. The group envisions a program of physics demonstrations that make use of material developed for the Mines modern physics courses, including a cloud chamber and coincident particle detectors. The role of aerosols in climate forcing is not well understood. There are relatively few aerosol profile measurements in the southern hemisphere. Raman LIDAR is a standard technique that will both enhance the usefulness of the Auger atmospheric data and enable more direct comparisons with data in the atmospheric science community.