Contribution to the AugerPrime upgrade of the Pierre Auger observatory

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This project will support basic research into the properties of the highest energy particles in our Universe by contributing to the upgrade of the 3000 square kilometre Pierre Auger Observatory. A major detector upgrade (AugerPrime) is underway to enhance the sensitivity of the observatory for these high-energy cosmic rays. This follows an unexpected Auger result that indicates a significant fraction of these cosmic rays consist of heavy nuclei. AugerPrime will significantly improve the observatory's ability to identify the mass, and hence the charge, of the particles, allowing astrophysical source directions to be identified for the low charge particles which are less deflected by cosmic magnetic fields. The upgrade will also improve the understanding of particle physics at energies well beyond those explored at the Large Hadron Collider.