Observation of Radar Echoes from High-Energy Particle Cascades

Prohira, S.; de Vries, K. D.; Allison, P.; Beatty, J.; Besson, D.; Connolly, A.; van Eijndhoven, N.; Hast, C.; Kuo, C. -Y.; Latif, U. A.; Meures, T.; Nam, J.; Nozdrina, A.; Ralston, J. P.; Riesen, Z.; Sbrocco, C.; Torres, J.; Wissel, S.

doi:10.1103/physrevlett.124.091101

Title: Observation of Radar Echoes from High-Energy Particle Cascades

Journal Article · 06 March 2020 · Physical Review Letters

DOI: https://doi.org/10.1103/physrevlett.124.091101 · OSTI ID:1608339

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^[2]; Allison, P. ^[1];

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^[4]; Kuo, C. -Y. ^[5];

^[6]; Meures, T. ^[7]; Nam, J. ^[5];

^[6]; Ralston, J. P. ^[6];

^[8]; Sbrocco, C. ^[1];

^[1]; Wissel, S. ^[8]

The Ohio State Univ., Columbus, OH (United States)
Vrije Univ., Amsterdam (Netherlands)
Univ. of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (United States); Moscow Engineering Physics Univ., Moscow (Russian Federation)
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
National Taiwan Univ., Taipei (Taiwan)
Univ. of Kansas, Lawrence, KS (United States)
Univ. of Wisconsin, Madison, WI (United States)
California Polytechnic State Univ. (CalPoly), San Luis Obispo, CA (United States)

We report here the observation of radar echoes from the ionization trails of high-energy particle cascades. Data were taken at the SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory, where the full electron beam ( $~ 10^{9} e^{-}$ at $~ 10 GeV / e^{-}$ ) was directed into a plastic target to simulate an ultrahigh-energy neutrino interaction. The target was interrogated with radio waves, and coherent radio reflections from the cascades were detected with properties consistent with theoretical expectations. This is the first definitive observation of radar echoes from high-energy particle cascades, which could lead to a viable neutrino detection technology for energies $≳ 10^{16} eV$ .

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Research Organization:: Oak Ridge Associated Univ., Oak Ridge, TN (United States); SLAC National Accelerator Laboratory (SLAC), Menlo Park, CA (United States)

Sponsoring Organization:: European Research Council (ERC); USDOE Office of Science (SC)

Grant/Contract Number:: AC02-76SF00515; SC0014664

OSTI ID:: 1608339

Journal Information:: Physical Review Letters, Journal Name: Physical Review Letters Journal Issue: 9 Vol. 124; ISSN 0031-9007; ISSN PRLTAO

Publisher:: American Physical Society (APS)Copyright Statement

Country of Publication:: United States

Language:: English

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