WoU-MMA: Enhancing the Neutrino Sensitivity of the Pierre Auger Observatory

超高能宇宙射线的起源还没有确定下来。超高能光子或中微子的探测将有助于阐明加速点的性质和我们对极端宇宙的理解。超高能光子或中微子从源头传播，不受星际磁场的偏转。Pierre Auger天文台是世界上最大的运行中的宇宙射线天文台，拥有1,660个地表探测器站，分布在3000平方公里的土地上，由4只荧光望远镜眼睛俯瞰，观测在地球大气层中相互作用的宇宙射线。目前正在对名为AugerPrime的天文台进行升级，以增强实验能力。该奖项支持密歇根理工大学的科学家使用Pierre Auger天文台和AugerPrime升级进行超高能宇宙线天体物理研究。研究计划的重点是提高天文台表面探测器对超高能中微子和光子的探测效率，从而增强多信使天体物理能力。这项计划向本科生，特别是未被充分代表的群体介绍一线天体物理研究，并培训研究生开发科学仪器的艺术。皮埃尔·奥格尔天文台在未来十年的主要目标是发现超高能宇宙射线的起源，这是在宇宙中观察到的最高能量的粒子。AugerPrime的升级为天文台提供了同时测量大范围空气簇射的缪子和电磁成分的能力，从而增强了天文台在最高能量下研究超高能宇宙线成分、成分辅助的各向异性和强子相互作用效应的能力。中微子和光子诱导的空气簇射的模拟将被用于检查由AugerPrime表面探测器记录的信号的特征。这些信息将用于在现场可编程门阵列中实现更灵敏的一级和二级触发算法，该阵列在俄歇天文台表面阵列的每个探测器站中生成触发器，从而提高天文台首次探测超高能中微子和光子所需的灵敏度。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The origin of ultra-high energy cosmic rays is not yet a settled question. Detection of ultra-high energy photons or neutrinos, which travel from their source without deflection by interstellar magnetic fields, would help elucidate the nature of the acceleration sites and our understanding of the extreme universe. The Pierre Auger Observatory is the largest operating cosmic ray observatory in the world, containing 1,660 surface detector stations spread over 3,000 square km, overlooked by 4 fluorescence telescope eyes, which observe cosmic rays interacting in the earth's atmosphere. An upgrade to the observatory called AugerPrime is currently underway to enhance the experimental capabilities. This award supports scientists at the Michigan Technological University in ultra-high energy cosmic ray astrophysics research using the Pierre Auger Observatory and the AugerPrime upgrade. The focus of the research program is increasing the detection efficiency of the surface detectors of the observatory for ultra-high energy neutrinos and photons, thereby augmenting the multi-messenger astrophysics capabilities. This program introduces undergraduate students, in particular underrepresented groups, to front-line astrophysics research, and trains graduate students in the art of developing scientific instrumentation.The primary goal of the Pierre Auger Observatory in the next decade is to discover the origin of ultra-high energy cosmic rays, the most energetic particles observed in the universe. The AugerPrime upgrade provides the observatory with the ability to simultaneously measure the muonic and electromagnetic components of extensive air showers, thereby enhancing the ability of the observatory to study ultra-high energy cosmic ray composition, composition-assisted anisotropies, and hadronic interaction effects at the highest energies. Simulations of neutrino and photon induced air showers will be applied to examine the characteristics of the signals recorded by the AugerPrime surface detectors. This information will be utilized to realize more sensitive level 1 and level 2 trigger algorithms in the field programmable gate array that generates the triggers in each detector station of the Auger Observatory surface array, resulting in the increased sensitivity needed to target the first detections of ultra-high energy neutrinos and photons by the observatory.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.