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Large scale anisotropy studies of ultra high energy cosmic rays using data taken with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

Abstract

The distribution of arrival directions of cosmic rays is remarkably uniform over the complete spectrum of energies. At large angular scales only tiny deviations from isotropy have been observed and huge statistics are required to quantify the corresponding amplitudes. The measurement of cosmic rays with energies above 10{sup 15} eV is only feasible with large, earthbound observatories: The cosmic ray primary particles initiate cascades of secondary particles in the Earth's atmosphere. Every aspect of the development of these air showers down to the measurement of the resulting particles at ground level needs to be well understood and controlled in order to precisely reconstruct the properties of the primary particle. The development of air showers is subject to systematic distortions caused by the magnetic field of the Earth. Both this and other local effects are capable of inducing false anisotropy into the distribution of arrival directions. In this thesis, the effect of the geomagnetic field on the energy measurement is modelled and quantified; consequently, a correction of the energy estimator is derived. Furthermore, a method is introduced to fit dipolar patterns to the distribution of arrival directions of cosmic rays as observed from the field of view of the surface detector  More>>
Authors:
Publication Date:
Jun 10, 2011
Product Type:
Thesis/Dissertation
Report Number:
INIS-DE-1274
Resource Relation:
Other Information: TH: Diss. (Dr.rer.nat.)
Subject:
46 INSTRUMENTATION RELATED TO NUCLEAR SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY; ANGULAR DISTRIBUTION; ANISOTROPY; CORRECTIONS; COSMIC RAY DETECTION; COSMIC SHOWERS; DIPOLES; GEOMAGNETIC FIELD; PRIMARY COSMIC RADIATION; SPECTROSCOPY
OSTI ID:
21539044
Research Organizations:
Rheinisch-Westfaelische Technische Hochschule Aachen (Germany). Fakultaet fuer Mathematik, Informatik und Naturwissenschaften
Country of Origin:
Germany
Language:
English
Other Identifying Numbers:
TRN: DE12F3986
Availability:
OSTI as DE21539044; Commercial reproduction prohibited; INIS
Submitting Site:
DEN
Size:
186 pages
Announcement Date:
Mar 29, 2012

Citation Formats

Grigat, Marius. Large scale anisotropy studies of ultra high energy cosmic rays using data taken with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Germany: N. p., 2011. Web.
Grigat, Marius. Large scale anisotropy studies of ultra high energy cosmic rays using data taken with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Germany.
Grigat, Marius. 2011. "Large scale anisotropy studies of ultra high energy cosmic rays using data taken with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory." Germany.
@misc{etde_21539044,
title = {Large scale anisotropy studies of ultra high energy cosmic rays using data taken with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory}
author = {Grigat, Marius}
abstractNote = {The distribution of arrival directions of cosmic rays is remarkably uniform over the complete spectrum of energies. At large angular scales only tiny deviations from isotropy have been observed and huge statistics are required to quantify the corresponding amplitudes. The measurement of cosmic rays with energies above 10{sup 15} eV is only feasible with large, earthbound observatories: The cosmic ray primary particles initiate cascades of secondary particles in the Earth's atmosphere. Every aspect of the development of these air showers down to the measurement of the resulting particles at ground level needs to be well understood and controlled in order to precisely reconstruct the properties of the primary particle. The development of air showers is subject to systematic distortions caused by the magnetic field of the Earth. Both this and other local effects are capable of inducing false anisotropy into the distribution of arrival directions. In this thesis, the effect of the geomagnetic field on the energy measurement is modelled and quantified; consequently, a correction of the energy estimator is derived. Furthermore, a method is introduced to fit dipolar patterns to the distribution of arrival directions of cosmic rays as observed from the field of view of the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. After correcting for all relevant local effects the method is applied to data and the parameters of a potentially underlying dipole are determined and evaluated. (orig.)}
place = {Germany}
year = {2011}
month = {Jun}
}