arXiv subjects

J. Bazo

Publications and source records attributed to J. Bazo.

5 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2025

Science Prospects for the Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory: SWGO

Ground-based gamma-ray astronomy is now well established as a key observational approach to address critical topics at the frontiers of astroparticle physics and high-energy astrophysics. Whilst the field of TeV astronomy was once dominated by arrays of atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes, ground-level particle detection has now been demonstrated to be an equally viable and strongly complementary approach. Ground-level particle detection provides continuous monitoring of the overhead sky, critical for the mapping of extended structures and capturing transient phenomena. As demonstrated by HAWC and LHAASO, the technique provides the best available sensitivity above a few tens of TeV, and for the first time access to the PeV energy range. Despite the success of this approach, there is so far no major ground-level particle-based observatory with access to the Southern sky. HESS, located in Namibia, is the only major gamma-ray instrument in the Southern Hemisphere, and has shown the extraordinary richness of the inner galaxy in the TeV band, but is limited in terms of field of view and energy reach. SWGO is an international effort to construct the first wide-field instrument in the south with deep sensitivity from 100s of GeV into the PeV domain. The project is now close to the end of its development phase and planning for construction of the array in Chile has begun. Here we describe the baseline design, expected sensitivity and resolution, and describe in detail the main scientific topics that will be addressed by this new facility and its initial phase SWGO-A. We show that SWGO will have a transformational impact on a wide range of topics from cosmic-ray acceleration and transport to the nature of dark matter. SWGO represents a key piece of infrastructure for multi-messenger astronomy in the next decade, with strong scientific synergies with the nearby CTA Observatory.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2024

Particle detection performance and Geant4 simulation with low-cost CMOS technology

We evaluate the performance of an Omnivision OV5647 CMOS image sensor (5 Mp) for detecting radiation from Sr90 and Cs137 sources. Our experimental setup uses a Raspberry Pi 3 mini-computer for data acquisition, with image processing using Python and OpenCV libraries. We specify the necessary settings to convert a standard camera into a particle detector sensitive to electrons and photons, including a two-step background filtering procedure. In addition, we implement the first detailed Geant4 simulation that describes the layered geometry and material composition of a commercial CMOS sensor along with the radioactive sources. To enhance the simulation, we include an algorithm for charge diffusion and conversion of the energy deposited by electrons and photons into ADC counts. Our measurements are presented in terms of cluster size, the maximum ADC signal per cluster, and the number of clusters as a function of distance. We find a good agreement between the experimental data and simulation for all these observables, and we can reproduce the correlation between cluster size and maximum ADC signal per cluster. Thus, this simulation, cross-checked with data, can be used to test the feasibility of further particle detection ideas without the need to implement an experimental setup. However, the sensor has limited primary energy resolution and is thus unable to distinguish between different radioactive sources. Nevertheless, given the accurate measurement of energy deposition, the sensor, once calibrated, is suitable for dosimetric measurements of source activities.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2020

CALLISTO Facilities in Peru: Spectrometers Commissioning and Observations of Type III Solar Radio Bursts

The Astrophysics Directorate of CONIDA has installed two radio spectrometer stations belonging to the e-CALLISTO network in Lima, Peru. Given their strategic location near the Equator, it is possible to observe the Sun evenly throughout the whole year. The receiver located at Pucusana, nearby the capital city of Lima, took data from October 2014 until August 2016 in the metric and decimetric bands looking for radio bursts. During this period, this e-CALLISTO detector was unique in its time-zone coverage. To assess the suitability of the sites and the performance of the antennas we analyzed the radio ambient background and measured their radiation pattern and beam-width. To show the capabilities of the facilities to study solar dynamics in these radio frequencies we have selected and analyzed type III Solar Radio Bursts. The study of this kind of bursts helps to understand the electron beams traversing the solar corona and the solar atmospheric density. We have characterized the most common radio bursts with the following mean values: a negative drift rate of -25.8 $\pm$ 3.7 MHz/s, a duration of 2.6 $\pm$ 0.3 s and 35 MHz bandwidth in the frequency range of 114 to 174 MHz. In addition, for some events, it was possible to calculate a global frequency drift which on average was 0.4 $\pm$ 0.1 MHz/s.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2020

Laser spot measurement using cost-affordable devices

We have designed and tested an automated simple setup for quickly measuring the profile and spot size of a Gaussian laser beam using three cost-affordable light sensors. Two profiling techniques were implemented: imaging for the CMOS 2D array (webcam) and scanning knife-edge-like using a single photodiode and an LDR. The methods and sensors were compared to determine their accuracy using lasers of two different wavelengths and technologies. We verify that it is possible to use a low-cost webcam to determine the profile of a laser with 1% uncertainty on the beam waist, 1.5% error on the waistline position, and less than 3% error in determining the minimum spot radius. The photodiode measurement is the most stable since it is not affected by the change in laser intensity. In addition, we show that it is possible to use an inexpensive LDR sensor to estimate the laser spot size with an 11% error.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2019

The Southern Wide-Field Gamma-Ray Observatory (SWGO): A Next-Generation Ground-Based Survey Instrument for VHE Gamma-Ray Astronomy

We describe plans for the development of the Southern Wide-field Gamma-ray Observatory (SWGO), a next-generation instrument with sensitivity to the very-high-energy (VHE) band to be constructed in the Southern Hemisphere. SWGO will provide wide-field coverage of a large portion of the southern sky, effectively complementing current and future instruments in the global multi-messenger effort to understand extreme astrophysical phenomena throughout the universe. A detailed description of science topics addressed by SWGO is available in the science case white paper [1]. The development of SWGO will draw on extensive experience within the community in designing, constructing, and successfully operating wide-field instruments using observations of extensive air showers. The detector will consist of a compact inner array of particle detection units surrounded by a sparser outer array. A key advantage of the design of SWGO is that it can be constructed using current, already proven technology. We estimate a construction cost of 54M USD and a cost of 7.5M USD for 5 years of operation, with an anticipated US contribution of 20M USD ensuring that the US will be a driving force for the SWGO effort. The recently formed SWGO collaboration will conduct site selection and detector optimization studies prior to construction, with full operations foreseen to begin in 2026. Throughout this document, references to science white papers submitted to the Astro2020 Decadal Survey with particular relevance to the key science goals of SWGO, which include unveiling Galactic particle accelerators [2-10], exploring the dynamic universe [11-21], and probing physics beyond the Standard Model [22-25], are highlighted in red boldface.

astro-ph.IM↗