Telescope Array TAX4 Upgrade Deployment Proposal

宇宙射线是来自太空的高能亚原子粒子，以接近光速的速度传播。 超高能宇宙射线的起源和加速机制目前尚不清楚，它们可能来自银河系外的极端天体物理现象。 望远镜阵列（TA）是北方最大的宇宙射线探测器。 TA位于犹他州三角洲外，代表了美日两国的共同努力，旨在研究宇宙中最高能量粒子的性质和起源。 授予犹他州大学的这一奖项支持美国对扩大实验的贡献，命名为TAx 4，这将大大增加天文台的收集面积。 有了新的能力，TAx 4将探测一个明显的各向异性，或“热点”，在北方半球观察，可能代表一个超高能宇宙射线的本地源。 扩大后的TAx 4还将有助于解决北方半球的TA和南半球的Pierre Auger天文台的结果之间的差异。 该奖项还将支持犹他州大学集团参与天体物理学科学项目整合研究和教育（ASPIRE）计划，该计划通过访问学校和围绕犹他州和邻近州的学校课程设计的科学课程网站，吸引地区教师，学生和公众。 该小组还将在受益于TA位置和基础设施的其他领域开展相关实验。TAx4将把TA扩大四倍。 日本TA合作者将建造TAx4表面探测器的闪烁计数器。 犹他州大学小组负责在米勒德县和朱阿布县的两个地区部署表面探测器，然后建造两个荧光探测器来俯瞰两个TAx 4表面探测器区域。 这项计划会分阶段推行，而电信局长则会继续运作及收集数据。

Cosmic rays are highly energetic sub-atomic particles from space that travel at velocities near the speed of light. The origin and acceleration mechanism for ultra-high energy cosmic rays, which likely come from extreme astrophysical phenomena outside our galaxy, are currently unknown. The Telescope Array (TA) is the largest cosmic ray detector in the northern hemisphere. Located outside Delta, Utah, and representing a joint US-Japanese effort, TA was designed to study the nature and origin of the highest energy particles in the Universe. This award to the University of Utah supports the US contribution to an expansion of the experiment, designated TAx4, which will significantly increase the collecting area of the observatory. With new capabilities, TAx4 will probe an apparent anisotropy, or "hotspot," observed in the northern hemisphere that may represent a local source of ultra-high energy cosmic rays. The enlarged TAx4 will also help to address differences in the results from TA in the northern hemisphere and the Pierre Auger Observatory in the southern hemisphere. This award will also support the University of Utah group's involvement in the Astrophysics Science Project Integrating Research and Education (ASPIRE) program, which engages area teachers, students, and the public through visits to schools and a web site of science lessons designed around the curricula of schools in Utah and neighboring states. The group will also host associated experiments in other fields that benefit from the TA location and infrastructure.TAx4 will enlarge TA by a factor of four. Japanese TA collaborators will build the scintillation counters of the TAx4 surface detectors. The University of Utah group is responsible for deploying the surface detectors in two areas in Millard and Juab Counties, and then building two fluorescence detectors to overlook the two TAx4 surface detector areas. The project will be implemented in phases while TA continues to operate and collect data.