Signals from cosmic ray sources, some statistical issues
The possible existence of discrete sources of cosmic rays is presently one of the main topics of study in non-accelerator particle physics. The search is being conducted in a wide variety of experiments using UHE-{gamma} rays, VHE-{gamma} rays, EeV particles, underground {mu}'s and {nu}'s. The current experimental situation, however, can be described as chaotic. The number of claimed observations of sources by different groups using a variety of experimental techniques is quite large, but a consistent interpretation of the various results has failed to emerge. Most of the observations rely on either on dc excess'' from the direction of the source, a periodicity of the events from that direction, or some combination of these two effects. In the first section of this paper, we discuss some of the techniques that may be used in searching for a dc excess. We review two common bin free tests of the light curves. We discuss a particular problem involving phase coherence when doing a period search. This paper discusses some of the issues and meanings involved in combining probabilities from more than one test. Prescribing the right'' way to do analysis is certainly beyond this paper's scope. However some of the issues and problems are considered here.
- Research Organization:
- Argonne National Lab., IL (USA)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- DOE/ER
- DOE Contract Number:
- W-31109-ENG-38
- OSTI ID:
- 6047010
- Report Number(s):
- ANL-HEP-CP-90-106; CONF-9006267-25; ON: DE91008727; TRN: 91-006992
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: 1990 DPF summer study on high energy physics, Snowmass, CO (USA), 25 Jun - 13 Jul 1990
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
Similar Records
Astrophysics with MILAGRO
Gamma-ray and neutrino backgrounds as probes of the high-energy universe: hints of cascades, general constraints, and implications for TeV searches