It is planned to operate the Pierre Auger Observatory until at least the end of 2024. An upgrade of the experiment has been proposed in order to provide additional measurements to allow one to elucidate the mass composition and the origin of the flux suppression at the highest energies, to search for a flux contribution of protons up to the highest energies and to reach a sensitivity to a contribution as small as 10% in the flux suppression region, to study extensive air showers and hadronic multi-particle production. With operation planned until 2024, event statistics will more than double compared with the existing Auger data set, with the critical added advantage that every event will now have mass information. Obtaining additional composition-sensitive information will not only help to better reconstruct the properties of the primary particles at the highest energies, but also improve the measurements in the energy range just above the ankle. Furthermore, measurements with the new detectors will help to reduce systematic uncertainties related to the modelling hadronic showers and to limitations in the reconstruction algorithms. A description of the principal proposed Auger upgrade will be presented. The Auger upgrade promises high-quality future data, and real scope for new physics.

The Pierre Auger Observatory Upgrade

Anastasi, G. A.;Buscemi, M.;Caruso, R.;Insolia, A.;Perrone, L.;Pirronello, V.;Zuccarello, F.
2017-01-01

Abstract

It is planned to operate the Pierre Auger Observatory until at least the end of 2024. An upgrade of the experiment has been proposed in order to provide additional measurements to allow one to elucidate the mass composition and the origin of the flux suppression at the highest energies, to search for a flux contribution of protons up to the highest energies and to reach a sensitivity to a contribution as small as 10% in the flux suppression region, to study extensive air showers and hadronic multi-particle production. With operation planned until 2024, event statistics will more than double compared with the existing Auger data set, with the critical added advantage that every event will now have mass information. Obtaining additional composition-sensitive information will not only help to better reconstruct the properties of the primary particles at the highest energies, but also improve the measurements in the energy range just above the ankle. Furthermore, measurements with the new detectors will help to reduce systematic uncertainties related to the modelling hadronic showers and to limitations in the reconstruction algorithms. A description of the principal proposed Auger upgrade will be presented. The Auger upgrade promises high-quality future data, and real scope for new physics.
2017
Physics and Astronomy (all)
File in questo prodotto:
File Dimensione Formato  
The Pierre Auger Observatory Upgrade.pdf

accesso aperto

Descrizione: Articolo principale
Tipologia: Versione Editoriale (PDF)
Dimensione 336.47 kB
Formato Adobe PDF
336.47 kB Adobe PDF Visualizza/Apri

I documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.

Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.11769/334079
Citazioni
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.pmc??? ND
  • Scopus 0
  • ???jsp.display-item.citation.isi??? ND
social impact