Study of Highest Energy Cosmic Rays

已观测到能量超过10^20 eV的9812597条Cronin宇宙射线。目前还不清楚这些粒子是如何被加速到这样的能量的，因为标准的加速场景在大约10^15 eV左右的情况下存在困难。然而，很明显，这些极高能量宇宙射线的来源肯定就在附近。否则，与微波背景的相互作用将降低粒子能量，从而阻止它们从遥远的来源到达我们身边。俄歇实验是为了研究这些最高能量的粒子而设计的。俄歇将是第一个足够大(9000公里)的空气簇射阵列，可以探测到合理数量的10^20 eV事件，它可能有足够的角分辨率来追踪它们在天空中的来源。该提案将通过模拟、原型安装和促成国际合作的必要活动来帮助俄歇项目的开发。

***9812597CroninCosmic rays have been observed up to energies in excess of 10^20 eV. It is not at all clear how these particles are accelerated up to such energies, since standard acceleration scenarios have difficulties above about 10^15 eV or so. It is clear, though, that the sources of these extremely high energy cosmic rays must be nearby. Otherwise interactions with the microwave background will degrade the particle energies, and there by prevent them from getting to us from distant sources. The Auger experiment is designed to study these highest energy particles. Auger would be the first air shower array large enough (9000 km^2-sr) to detect a reasonable number of 10^20 eV events, and it may have sufficient angular resolution to trace them back to their sources in the sky. This proposal will aid in the Auger project development through simulations, prototype installation and necessary activities leading to formation of the international collaboration.***