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Project

Cross-calibrating the energy scales of cosmic-ray observatories with a portable radio array (FWOTM944)

The cosmic-ray energy spectrum has a changing spectral index at the highest energies, indicating a transition of sources from Galactic to extra-galactic, and eventually a suppression of cosmic-ray flux. Understanding this region of the spectrum is critical to addressing open questions about the origin of the highest energy cosmic rays.

A current problem in the field is the inconsistent energy scales between experiments. Traditional methods of determining cosmic- ray energy rely on information from particles from extensive air showers or fluorescence yields, which are heavily model dependent and introduce large systematic uncertainties.

Radio detection of cosmic rays is a well established technique and provides a calorimetric energy measurement that can be derived from first principles. We propose building a prototype array of antennas to cross-calibrate the energy scales of different experiments. The array will operate autonomously and will be portable so data can be collected at different sites. With minimal input from the host experiment, an independent radio-based energy estimate will be made. The array will be deployed at two different experiments during the grant period, directly comparing their energy scales and demonstrating the potential of the cross-calibration method.
Date:1 Oct 2019 →  1 Aug 2021
Keywords:cosmic-ray observatories
Disciplines:High energy astrophysics, astroparticle physics and cosmic rays, High energy physics