The energy spectrum of ultra high energy cosmic rays measured by the High Resolution Fly's Eye observatory in stereoscopic mode

Details The energy spectrum of ultra high energy cosmic rays measured by the High Resolution Fly's Eye observatory in stereoscopic mode The energy spectrum of ultra high energy cosmic rays measured by the High Resolution Fly's Eye observatory in stereoscopic mode

Jun 2008

adsabs.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/nph-data_query?bibcode=2008phdt........19h&link_type=abstract

Proquest Dissertations And Theses 2008. Section 0240, Part 0606 351 pages; [Ph.D. dissertation].United States -- Utah: The Univ

Computer Science

1

Energy Spectrum, Cosmic Rays, High Resolution Fly'S Eye, Ultrahigh-Energy Cosmic Rays

Scientific paper

The High Resolution Fly's Eye cosmic ray observatory is designed to observe cosmic rays entering the Earth's atmosphere with energies above 10 18 eV. These ultra high energy cosmic rays produce a cascade of many particles called an extended air shower. Charged particles from the air shower deposit energy in the atmosphere, which acts as a calorimeter, causing atmospheric N 2 excitation which results in the production of copious amounts of ultraviolet light. This ultraviolet light is collected by the HiRes detector to determine the shape of the shower and ultimately the energy of the cosmic ray which caused it. The air fluorescence method utilized by the HiRes detector to observe and reconstruct extended air showers is described in detail. The energy, arrival direction, and composition of cosmic rays entering the atmosphere can be measured using this method.
The construction and operation of the HiRes observatory, as well as the calibration procedures are also explained. Detailed simulations of extended air showers in the atmosphere, as well as modeling of the detector's response under varying operating conditions are described. The method of processing raw cosmic ray data to the final analysis stage is also reported.
HiRes utilizes a superior method of observing showers by combining two detectors to view showers in stereoscopic mode. The energy spectrum of ultra high energy cosmic rays measured using the HiRes detector in stereoscopic mode is described. Energies from 10 18 eV and above are measured. Several different models are fit to the reconstructed spectrum. Well known features of the cosmic ray spectrum, including the ankle and the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuz'min (GZK) suppression are observed. The ankle is found to be at 18.55 ± 0.04 [Special characters omitted.] (sys) log 10 (eV) and the GZK suppression at 19.76 ± 0.04 [Special characters omitted.] (sys) log 10 (eV). The spectral indices are also measured and found to be 3.31 ± 0.03 [Special characters omitted.] (sys) below the ankle, 2.84 ± 0.04 [Special characters omitted.] (sys) between the ankle and the GZK suppression, and 6.8 ± 1.5 [Special characters omitted.] (sys) above the GZK suppression. The measured number of events above 10 19.76 eV is compared to an expected number of events, assuming no GZK suppression. The significance of the GZK suppression is measured in this way to be 3.7 standard deviations.

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