Determination of cosmic ray composition from measurements with surface detectors of the Pierre Auger observatory

doctoral thesis

• Title (english): Određivanje sastava kozmičkog zračenja iz mjerenja površinskim detektorima opservatorija Pierre Auger
• Author: Saša Mićanović
• Mentor: Tatjana Šuša (mentor)
• Mentor: Darko Veberič (komentor); strani drzavljanin: Nije dostupno
• Committee member: Krešimir Kumerički (predsjednik povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Vernesa Smolčić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Tihomir Surić (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Tatjana Šuša (član povjerenstva)
• Committee member: Darko Veberič (član povjerenstva); strani drzavljanin: Nije dostupno
• Granter: University of Zagreb; Faculty of Science; (Department of Physics); Zagreb
• Defense date and country: 2013-11-28, Croatia
• Scientific / art field, discipline and subdiscipline: NATURAL SCIENCES; Physics
• Universal decimal classification (UDC): 53 - Physics

Abstract

The Pierre Auger Observatory started collecting data in 2004. The obtained dataset is of unprecedented quality and quantity enabling information about ultra high energy cosmic ray flux and origin. However, due to very limited duty cycle of Fluorescence Detector, the reliable information about UHECR mass compostion in the region of the highest primary energies is still missing. Therefore, the accent has been put on finding a method to infer mass composition from measurements of the Surface Detector which duty cycle is unlimited. Two approaches were investigated for obtaining mass composition information from the SD measurements. Correlation between muon content sensitive observables and structural and temporal properties of signal recorded in SD stations was studied in details. Muon fraction estimator was researched and determined. Its performance was studied on wide range of air shower observables and potential applications. It was applied to the PAO SD data and estimate of muon signal was obtained. Comparison to simulations of different hadronic interactions models was perfomed. The deficit of predicted muon signal was confirmed and quantified with respect to obtained estimated value. Detailed study of correlation between the depth of the shower maximum and SD observables related to shower front was performed. The Xmax estimator based on SD observables was determined and its performance was studied. In addition, the empirical start time variance model was obtained and applied in reconstruction of shower geometry related SD observables.

Abstract (croatian)

Više od stotinu godina od njihova otkrića, kozmičko zračenje i njegova svojstva još uvijek pobuđuju značajno zanimanje znanstvenika diljem svijeta. Štoviše, posebnu znanstvenu nepoznanicu predstavljaju karakteristike kozmičkog zračenja najviših energija, onih iznad 1018 eV, koje svojim iznosom nadilazi najveće dostupne energije na ubrzivačima čestica koje su ljudi danas sposobni napraviti, poput velikog hadronskog sudarivača (LHC) na Institutu “European Organization for Nuclear Research” (CERN) u Švicarskoj. I upravo je radi toga, ali i drugih razloga, pitanje o prirodi i izvorima tih čestica najvećih energija ikad zabilježenih u Prirodi, uvršteno početkom ovog stoljeća među “11 najvećih neriješenih pitanja fizike” u časopisu “Nature”.

• Keywords: cosmic rays; surface detectors
• Keywords (croatian): kozmičko zračenje; površinski detektori
• Language: english
• URN:NBN: urn:nbn:hr:217:982850
• Study programme: Title: Physics; Study programme type: university; Study level: postgraduate; Academic / professional title: doktor/doktorica znanosti, područje prirodnih znanosti, polje fizika (doktor/doktorica znanosti, područje prirodnih znanosti, polje fizika)
• Type of resource: Text
• Extent: 225 str.
• File origin: Born digital
• Access conditions: Open access
• Created on: 2017-08-23 09:36:43