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Solving the Mystery of the Highest Energy Cosmic Rays : 1938 to 2007 cosmic rays:

Solving the Mystery of the Highest Energy Cosmic Rays : 1938 to 2007 cosmic rays:. James W. Cronin Inaugural Conference: Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos Aug 9, 2007 Penn State University. On the way to Solving the Mystery of the Highest Energy Cosmic Rays : 1938 to 2007

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Solving the Mystery of the Highest Energy Cosmic Rays : 1938 to 2007 cosmic rays:

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  1. Solving the Mystery of the Highest Energy Cosmic Rays : 1938 to 2007 cosmic rays: James W. Cronin Inaugural Conference: Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos Aug 9, 2007 Penn State University

  2. On the way to Solving the Mystery of the Highest Energy Cosmic Rays : 1938 to 2007 cosmic rays: James W. Cronin Inaugural Conference: Institute for Gravitation and the Cosmos Aug 9, 2007 Penn State University

  3. Victor Hess 1911-12

  4.  = 5  sec

  5. Decoherence curve at the Jungfraujoch Auger and collaborators

  6. Pierre Auger at the University of Chicago 1940

  7. Following World War II cosmic ray research resumed with arrays of Geiger counters

  8. Professor Zatsepin in the Pamir mountains

  9. B. Rossi

  10. Volcano Ranch J. Linsley 1963 1st cosmic ray ~ 1020 eV

  11. Two techniques: • detect shower particles on the ground • detect air fluorescence produced by shower particles

  12. Cassiday, Bergeson, Loh, Sokolsky et al. Utah Fly’s Eye 1981-1993

  13. Instruments for the study of the highest energy cosmic rays operation area exposure period km2 1016 (m2 sec sr) Volcano Ranch 1960-1980 80.2 (?) Haverah Park 1967-1987 12 2.6 SUGAR ~1968-1980 60 ~2.6 Yakutsk 1974-1995 18 1.4 Fly’s Eye 1981-1992 2.6 (mono) HiRes ~1998-2006 ~10 (mono) AGASA 1992-2004 100 ~6.0 Auger 2004- 3000 16 (~0.8 yr opr.)

  14. 1020 eV proton 16 joules energy Kinetic energy of Andy Roddick’s second serve But momentum of a snail Macroscopic energy in a microscopic particle No known astrophysical sources “seem” able to produce such enormous energies 1/ km2/ century 3000 km2 -> 30 events / year Simon Swordy University of Chicago

  15. proton + cmb ->  + nucleon 3

  16. 4

  17. 5

  18. Portugal Netherlands

  19. 1438 deployed 1400 filled 1364 taking data 090707 ~ 85% All 4 fluorescence buildings complete, each with 6 telescopes 1st 4-fold on 20 May 2007 AIM: 1600 tanks HYBRID DETECTOR

  20. Surface Detector GPS timing precision Cosmic Muon Calibration 7

  21. The Fluorescence Detector 3.4 metre diameter segmented mirror 2.2m diameter aperture stop, corrector lens and optical filter. 440 pixel camera. 24 telescopes in 4 eyes

  22. HYBRID → PRECISE SHOWER GEOMETRYfirst step towards precise energy, depth of maximum Arrival time at ground provided by the SD, removes degeneracy in the FD geometry fit Can be ~ straight line,but 3 parameters in fit

  23. HYBRID → PRECISE SHOWER GEOMETRYfirst step towards precise energy, depth of maximum Arrival time at ground provided by the SD, removes degeneracy in the FD geometry fit (= 90o- Ψ) Get T0 from SD tank!Geometry uncertainties shrink!

  24. A “perfect” hybrid event: few are as beautiful as this one ! Miguel Mostafa New Mexico/Utah

  25. S1000 is Energy parameter 8

  26. S38 (1000)vs. E(FD) 4 x 1019 eV Nagano et al, FY used 387 hybrid events

  27. Three spectra combined weighting statistical error in each energy bin. Low energy from Hybrid observation, High energy from SD. ‘ankle’ and ‘steepening’ seen in (nearly) model and mass-independent measurement . Auger Spectrum 2007 JS E-2.6

  28. 6 sigma deficit from power-law assumption

  29. How we try to infer the variation of mass with energy photons Xmax protons Data Fe Energy

  30. Elongation Rate measured over two decades of energy Fluctuations in Xmax to be exploited

  31. 326 111 69 25 12 426 Large number of events allows good control and understanding of systematics

  32. Photon limit

  33. Conclusions We are at the point where we have some confidence that the angles and energies of the highest energy cosmic rays can be measured accurately. Good progress is being made for statistical determination of the composition. It remains to make a connection with the cosmic accelerators. This requires patience and the benevolence of Nature.

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