Limit on the ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray flux with the Westerbork synthesis radio telescope

Journal Article · Mon Nov 15 04:00:00 EST 2010 · Physical Review. D, Particles Fields

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1103/PHYSREVD.82.103014· OSTI ID:21503591

Veen, S ter; James, C W ^[1]; Buitink, S ^[2]; Falcke, H ^[1]; Mevius, M; Scholten, O; Vries, K D. de ^[3]; Singh, K ^[3]; Stappers, B ^[4]

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1. Department of Astrophysics, IMAPP, Radboud University Nijmegen, 6500 GL Nijmegen (Netherlands)
2. Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, Berkeley, California 94720 (United States)
3. Kernfysisch Versneller Instituut, University of Groningen, 9747 AA, Groningen (Netherlands)
4. Jodrell Bank Centre for Astrophysics, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of Manchester, Manchester M13 9PL (United Kingdom)

A particle cascade (shower) in a dielectric, for example, as initiated by an ultra-high-energy cosmic ray, will have an excess of electrons which will emit coherent Cerenkov radiation, known as the Askaryan effect. In this work we study the case in which such a particle shower occurs in a medium just below its surface. We show, for the first time, that the radiation transmitted through the surface is independent of the depth of the shower below the surface when observed from far away, apart from trivial absorption effects. As a direct application we use the recent results of the NuMoon project, where a limit on the neutrino flux for energies above 10{sup 22} eV was set using the Westerbork Synthesis Radio Telescope by measuring pulsed radio emission from the Moon, to set a limit on the flux of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays.

• OSTI ID: 21503591
• Journal Information: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields, Journal Name: Physical Review. D, Particles Fields Journal Issue: 10 Vol. 82; ISSN PRVDAQ; ISSN 0556-2821
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

79 ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ABSORPTION
ANTENNAS
CASCADE SHOWERS
CHERENKOV RADIATION
COSMIC RADIATION
COSMIC RAY FLUX
DIELECTRIC MATERIALS
EEV RANGE
ELECTRICAL EQUIPMENT
ELECTROMAGNETIC RADIATION
ELECTRONIC EQUIPMENT
ELECTRONS
ELEMENTARY PARTICLES
EMISSION
ENERGY RANGE
EQUIPMENT
FERMIONS
IONIZING RADIATIONS
LEPTONS
MASSLESS PARTICLES
MATERIALS
NEUTRINOS
PARTICLES
RADIATION FLUX
RADIATIONS
RADIO EQUIPMENT
RADIO TELESCOPES
SHOWERS
SORPTION
SURFACES
SYNTHESIS
TELESCOPES