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Design, calibration, and early results of a surface array for detection of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays

Allison, Patrick S.
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1179849363

Abstract Details

2007, Doctor of Philosophy, Ohio State University, Physics.
The difficulties in understanding cosmic rays at ultrahigh energies have been a persistent problem in particle astrophysics for almost 50 years, due to insufficient statistics and large systematic errors. The design of a surface array for the Pierre Auger Observatory, which was intended to resolve these problems, will be discussed, along with its calibration. The surface detector is an array of 1600 water Cherenkov detectors, spaced 1.5 km apart for a total area of 3000 km 2, planned to operate continuously for 20 years. The detectors therefore must be inexpensive, low power, easy to deploy, and have a high reliability. Each surface detector station is required to make a high precision measurement of the signal density produced by the air showers induced by cosmic rays over a wide dynamic range, and therefore a calibration system was developed for the array which creates a signal response uniform to within 3%. Finally, early results of the cosmic ray energy spectrum will be calculated, along with the future implications of the array for the field of cosmic ray astrophysics as well as physics in general.
James Beatty (Advisor)
343 p.
Pierre Auger Observatory; cosmic rays; GZK cutoff; water Cherenkov detectors

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Allison, P. S. (2007). Design, calibration, and early results of a surface array for detection of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays [Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1179849363

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Allison, Patrick. Design, calibration, and early results of a surface array for detection of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays. 2007. Ohio State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1179849363.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Allison, Patrick. "Design, calibration, and early results of a surface array for detection of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays." Doctoral dissertation, Ohio State University, 2007. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=osu1179849363

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

osu1179849363
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© 2007, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by The Ohio State University and OhioLINK.