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

超高能宇宙射线的起源至今仍是一个悬而未决的问题。 探测到超高能光子或中微子，它们从它们的源头出发，不会被星际磁场偏转，将有助于阐明加速点的性质和我们对极端宇宙的理解。皮埃尔·俄歇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个表面探测站，分布在3,000平方公里的土地上，由4个荧光望远镜眼睛俯瞰，观察宇宙射线在地球大气层中的相互作用。目前正在对天文台进行升级，称为AugerPrime，以提高实验能力。 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射线天体物理学研究。研究计划的重点是提高观测站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学的能力。该项目向本科生，特别是弱势群体，介绍了天体物理学的前沿研究，并培养研究生在科学仪器的开发艺术。皮埃尔·奥杰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，宇宙中观测到的最高能粒子。 AugerPrime升级使观测站能够同时测量广泛的空气簇射的μ子和电磁分量，从而提高观测站研究超高能宇宙线成分、成分辅助各向异性和最高能量下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应用于检查AugerPrime表面探测器记录的信号的特性。 这一信息将用于在现场可编程门阵列中实现更灵敏的1级和2级触发算法，该门阵列在俄歇天文台地面阵列的每个探测器站中产生触发，从而导致针对第一次检测到的超该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并被认为值得通过使用基金会的学术价值和更广泛的影响评审标准。

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.