Presentation
Radar Detection of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays: Searching for Coincident Events with Telescope Array Radar and Surface Detectors
University of Utah Summer Research Symposium
(2015)
Abstract
CR EAS (Cosmic Ray Extensive Air Showers) are currently mainly detected by particle scintillation and fluorescence detectors. We present our findings on the use of radar detection as an active detection method for detecting CR EAS. Radar detectors can be run with ~100% duty cycle and can cover a large area. We have employed a re-purposed analog TV transmitter system to be used as a bi-static radar system co-located with TA’s (Telescope Array) SDs (Surface Detector) and FDs (Fluorescence Detector). TARA (Telescope Array RAdar) transmits a 54.1 MHz continuous wave low VHF over TA’s SD array. Power output is ~25 kW with an effective power of ~5 MW. Co-location with SDs and FDs allows us to check for coincidence with TARA self-triggers. TARA self-triggers have been time-matched with 1 s, 500 ms, 100 ms, 1 ms, 500 μs, 100 μs and 1 μs time windows. Coincidence was only found to the 100 μs level; No coincidences were found within 1 μs. The waveforms of the time-matched triggers were then analyzed to look for characteristic “chirp” signals resulting from doppler shifted received signal due to the relativistic shower particles. None were found. This leaves further work to be done analyzing waveforms coincident with well reconstructed showers detected by the SDs to quantify an upper limit on the RCS (Radar Cross Section) of CR EAS.
Disciplines
- Physics and
- Other Physics
Publication Date
Summer July, 2015
Location
Salt Lake City, UT
Citation Information
Zachary Gibson, Rasha Abbasi and John Belz. "Radar Detection of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays: Searching for Coincident Events with Telescope Array Radar and Surface Detectors" University of Utah Summer Research Symposium (2015) Available at: http://works.bepress.com/zachary-gibson/6/