arXiv subjects

M. Iacovacci

Publications and source records attributed to M. Iacovacci.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

arXiv2015

The analog Resistive Plate Chamber detector of the ARGO-YBJ experiment

The ARGO-YBJ experiment has been in stable data taking from November 2007 till February 2013 at the YangBaJing Cosmic Ray Observatory (4300 m a.s.l.). The detector consists of a single layer of Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) ( about 6700 m^2}) operated in streamer mode. The signal pick-up is obtained by means of strips facing one side of the gas volume. The digital readout of the signals, while allows a high space-time resolution in the shower front reconstruction, limits the measurable energy to a few hundred TeV. In order to fully investigate the 1-10 PeV region, an analog readout has been implemented by instrumenting each RPC with two large size electrodes facing the other side of the gas volume. Since December 2009 the RPC charge readout has been in operation on the entire central carpet (about 5800 m^2). In this configuration the detector is able to measure the particle density at the core position where it ranges from tens to many thousands of particles per m^2. Thus ARGO-YBJ provides a highly detailed image of the charge component at the core of air showers. In this paper we describe the analog readout of RPCs in ARGO-YBJ and discuss both the performance of the system and the physical impact on the EAS measurements.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2015

Test of candidate light distributors for the muon (g$-$2) laser calibration system

The new muon (g-2) experiment E989 at Fermilab will be equipped with a laser calibration system for all the 1296 channels of the calorimeters. An integrating sphere and an alternative system based on an engineered diffuser have been considered as possible light distributors for the experiment. We present here a detailed comparison of the two based on temporal response, spatial uniformity, transmittance and time stability.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2015

The cosmic ray proton plus helium energy spectrum measured by the ARGO-YBJ experiment in the energy range 3-300 TeV

The ARGO-YBJ experiment is a full-coverage air shower detector located at the Yangbajing Cosmic Ray Observatory (Tibet, People's Republic of China, 4300 m a.s.l.). The high altitude, combined with the full-coverage technique, allows the detection of extensive air showers in a wide energy range and offer the possibility of measuring the cosmic ray proton plus helium spectrum down to the TeV region, where direct balloon/space-borne measurements are available. The detector has been in stable data taking in its full configuration from November 2007 to February 2013. In this paper the measurement of the cosmic ray proton plus helium energy spectrum is presented in the region 3-300 TeV by analyzing the full collected data sample. The resulting spectral index is $γ= -2.64 \pm 0.01$. These results demonstrate the possibility of performing an accurate measurement of the spectrum of light elements with a ground based air shower detector.

hep-ex↗

arXiv2015

Studies of an array of PbF2 Cherenkov crystals with large-area SiPM readout

The electromagnetic calorimeter for the new muon (g-2) experiment at Fermilab will consist of arrays of PbF2 Cherenkov crystals read out by large-area silicon photo-multiplier (SiPM) sensors. We report here on measurements and simulations using 2.0 -- 4.5 GeV electrons with a 28-element prototype array. All data were obtained using fast waveform digitizers to accurately capture signal pulse shapes versus energy, impact position, angle, and crystal wrapping. The SiPMs were gain matched using a laser-based calibration system, which also provided a stabilization procedure that allowed gain correction to a level of 1e-4 per hour. After accounting for longitudinal fluctuation losses, those crystals wrapped in a white, diffusive wrapping exhibited an energy resolution sigma/E of (3.4 +- 0.1) % per sqrt(E/GeV), while those wrapped in a black, absorptive wrapping had (4.6 +- 0.3) % per sqrt(E/GeV). The white-wrapped crystals---having nearly twice the total light collection---display a generally wider and impact-position-dependent pulse shape owing to the dynamics of the light propagation, in comparison to the black-wrapped crystals, which have a narrower pulse shape that is insensitive to impact position.

physics.ins-det↗

arXiv2015

Search for GeV Gamma Ray Bursts with the ARGO-YBJ Detector: Summary of Eight Years of Observations

The search for Gamma Ray Burst (GRB) emission in the energy range 1-100 GeV in coincidence with the satellite detection has been carried out using the Astrophysical Radiation with Ground-based Observatory at YangBaJing (ARGO-YBJ) experiment. The high altitude location (4300 m a.s.l.), the large active surface ($\sim$ 6700 m$^2$ of Resistive Plate Chambers), the wide field of view ($\sim 2~$sr, limited only by the atmospheric absorption) and the high duty cycle ($>$ 86 %) make the ARGO-YBJ experiment particularly suitable to detect short and unexpected events like GRBs. With the scaler mode technique, i.e., counting all the particles hitting the detector with no measurement of the primary energy and arrival direction, the minimum threshold of $\sim$ 1 GeV can be reached, overlapping the direct measurements carried out by satellites. During the experiment lifetime, from December 17, 2004 to February 7, 2013, a total of 206 GRBs occurring within the ARGO-YBJ field of view (zenith angle $θ$ $\le$ 45$^{\circ}$) have been analyzed. This is the largest sample of GRBs investigated with a ground-based detector. Two lightcurve models have been assumed and since in both cases no significant excess has been found, the corresponding fluence upper limits in the 1-100 GeV energy region have been derived, with values as low as 10$^{-5}~$erg cm$^{-2}$. The analysis of a subset of 24 GRBs with known redshift has been used to constrain the fluence extrapolation to the GeV region together with possible cutoffs under different assumptions on the spectrum.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2015

The Knee of the Cosmic Hydrogen and Helium Spectrum below 1 PeV Measured by ARGO-YBJ and a Cherenkov Telescope of LHAASO

The measurement of cosmic ray energy spectra, in particular for individual species, is an essential approach in finding their origin. Locating the "knees" of the spectra is an important part of the approach and has yet to be achieved. Here we report a measurement of the mixed Hydrogen and Helium spectrum using the combination of the ARGO-YBJ experiment and of a prototype Cherenkov telescope for the LHAASO experiment. A knee feature at 640+/-87 TeV, with a clear steepening of the spectrum, is observed. This gives fundamental inputs to galactic cosmic ray acceleration models.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2014

Identification of the TeV Gamma-ray Source ARGO J2031+4157 with the Cygnus Cocoon

The extended TeV gamma-ray source ARGO J2031+4157 (or MGRO J2031+41) is positionally consistent with the Cygnus Cocoon discovered by $Fermi$-LAT at GeV energies in the Cygnus superbubble. Reanalyzing the ARGO-YBJ data collected from November 2007 to January 2013, the angular extension and energy spectrum of ARGO J2031+4157 are evaluated. After subtracting the contribution of the overlapping TeV sources, the ARGO-YBJ excess map is fitted with a two-dimensional Gaussian function in a square region of $10^{\circ}\times 10^{\circ}$, finding a source extension $σ_{ext}$= 1$^{\circ}$.8$\pm$0$^{\circ}$.5. The observed differential energy spectrum is $dN/dE =(2.5\pm0.4) \times 10^{-11}(E/1 TeV)^{-2.6\pm0.3}$ photons cm$^{-2}$ s$^{-1}$ TeV$^{-1}$, in the energy range 0.2-10 TeV. The angular extension is consistent with that of the Cygnus Cocoon as measured by $Fermi$-LAT, and the spectrum also shows a good connection with the one measured in the 1-100 GeV energy range. These features suggest to identify ARGO J2031+4157 as the counterpart of the Cygnus Cocoon at TeV energies. The Cygnus Cocoon, located in the star-forming region of Cygnus X, is interpreted as a cocoon of freshly accelerated cosmic rays related to the Cygnus superbubble. The spectral similarity with Supernova Remnants indicates that the particle acceleration inside a superbubble is similar to that in a SNR. The spectral measurements from 1 GeV to 10 TeV allows for the first time to determine the possible spectrum slope of the underlying particle distribution. A hadronic model is adopted to explain the spectral energy distribution.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2014

Energy Spectrum of Cosmic Protons and Helium Nuclei by a Hybrid Measurement at 4300 m a.s.l

The energy spectrum of cosmic Hydrogen and Helium nuclei has been measured, below the so-called "knee", by using a hybrid experiment with a wide field-of-view Cherenkov telescope and the Resistive Plate Chamber (RPC) array of the ARGO-YBJ experiment at 4300 m above sea level. The Hydrogen and Helium nuclei have been well separated from other cosmic ray components by using a multi-parameter technique. A highly uniform energy resolution of about 25% is achieved throughout the whole energy range (100 TeV - 700 TeV). The observed energy spectrum is compatible with a single power law with index gamma=-2.63+/-0.06.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

TeV gamma-ray survey of the Northern sky using the ARGO-YBJ detector

The ARGO-YBJ detector is an extensive air shower array that has been used to monitor the northern $γ$-ray sky at energies above 0.3 TeV from 2007 November to 2013 January. In this paper, we present the results of a sky survey in the declination band from $-10^{\circ}$ to $70^{\circ}$, using data recorded over the past five years. With an integrated sensitivity ranging from 0.24 to $\sim$1 Crab units depending on the declination, six sources have been detected with a statistical significance greater than 5 standard deviations. Several excesses are also reported as potential $γ$-ray emitters. The features of each source are presented and discussed. Additionally, $95\%$ confidence level upper limits of the flux from the investigated sky region are shown. Specific upper limits for 663 GeV $γ$-ray AGNs inside the ARGO-YBJ field of view are reported. The effect of the absorption of $γ$-rays due to the interaction with extragalactic background light is estimated.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2013

Observation of TeV gamma-rays from the unidentified source HESS J1841-055 with the ARGO-YBJ experiment

We report the observation of a very high energy γ-ray source, whose position is coincident with HESS J1841-055. This source has been observed for 4.5 years by the ARGO-YBJ experiment from November 2007 to July 2012. Its emission is detected with a statistical significance of 5.3 standard deviations. Parameterizing the source shape with a two-dimensional Gaussian function we estimate an extension σ=(0.40(+0.32,-0.22}) degree, consistent with the HESS measurement. The observed energy spectrum is dN/dE =(9.0-+1.6) x 10^{-13}(E/5 TeV)^{-2.32-+0.23} photons cm^{-2} s^{-1} TeV^{-1}, in the energy range 0.9-50 TeV. The integral γ-ray flux above 1 TeV is 1.3-+0.4 Crab units, which is 3.2-+1.0 times the flux derived by HESS. The differences in the flux determination between HESS and ARGO-YBJ, and possible counterparts at other wavelengths are discussed.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2012

Long-term Monitoring on Mrk 501 for Its VHE gamma Emission and a Flare in October 2011

As one of the brightest active blazars in both X-ray and very high energy $γ$-ray bands, Mrk 501 is very useful for physics associated with jets from AGNs. The ARGO-YBJ experiment is monitoring it for $γ$-rays above 0.3 TeV since November 2007. Starting from October 2011 the largest flare since 2005 is observed, which lasts to about April 2012. In this paper, a detailed analysis is reported. During the brightest $γ$-rays flaring episodes from October 17 to November 22, 2011, an excess of the event rate over 6 $σ$ is detected by ARGO-YBJ in the direction of Mrk 501, corresponding to an increase of the $γ$-ray flux above 1 TeV by a factor of 6.6$\pm$2.2 from its steady emission. In particular, the $γ$-ray flux above 8 TeV is detected with a significance better than 4 $σ$. Based on time-dependent synchrotron self-Compton (SSC) processes, the broad-band energy spectrum is interpreted as the emission from an electron energy distribution parameterized with a single power-law function with an exponential cutoff at its high energy end. The average spectral energy distribution for the steady emission is well described by this simple one-zone SSC model. However, the detection of $γ$-rays above 8 TeV during the flare challenges this model due to the hardness of the spectra. Correlations between X-rays and $γ$-rays are also investigated.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2012

Observation of TeV gamma rays from the Cygnus region with the ARGO-YBJ experiment

We report the observation of TeV gamma-rays from the Cygnus region using the ARGO-YBJ data collected from 2007 November to 2011 August. Several TeV sources are located in this region including the two bright extended MGRO J2019+37 and MGRO J2031+41. According to the Milagro data set, at 20 TeV MGRO J2019+37 is the most significant source apart from the Crab Nebula. No signal from MGRO J2019+37 is detected by the ARGO-YBJ experiment, and the derived flux upper limits at 90% confidence level for all the events above 600 GeV with medium energy of 3 TeV are lower than the Milagro flux, implying that the source might be variable and hard to be identified as a pulsar wind nebula. The only statistically significant (6.4 standard deviations) gamma-ray signal is found from MGRO J2031+41, with a flux consistent with the measurement by Milagro.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2011

Long-term monitoring of the TeV emission from Mrk 421 with the ARGO-YBJ experiment

ARGO-YBJ is an air shower detector array with a fully covered layer of resistive plate chambers. It is operated with a high duty cycle and a large field of view. It continuously monitors the northern sky at energies above 0.3 TeV. In this paper, we report a long-term monitoring of Mrk 421 over the period from 2007 November to 2010 February. This source was observed by the satellite-borne experiments Rossi X-ray Timing Explorer and Swift in the X-ray band. Mrk 421 was especially active in the first half of 2008. Many flares are observed in both X-ray and gamma-ray bands simultaneously. The gamma-ray flux observed by ARGO-YBJ has a clear correlation with the X-ray flux. No lag between the X-ray and gamma-ray photons longer than 1 day is found. The evolution of the spectral energy distribution is investigated by measuring spectral indices at four different flux levels. Hardening of the spectra is observed in both X-ray and gamma-ray bands. The gamma-ray flux increases quadratically with the simultaneously measured X-ray flux. All these observational results strongly favor the synchrotron self-Compton process as the underlying radiative mechanism.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2011

Mean Interplanetary Magnetic Field Measurement Using the ARGO-YBJ Experiment

The sun blocks cosmic ray particles from outside the solar system, forming a detectable shadow in the sky map of cosmic rays detected by the ARGO-YBJ experiment in Tibet. Because the cosmic ray particles are positive charged, the magnetic field between the sun and the earth deflects them from straight trajectories and results in a shift of the shadow from the true location of the sun. Here we show that the shift measures the intensity of the field which is transported by the solar wind from the sun to the earth.

astro-ph.SR↗

arXiv2010

The proton-air inelastic cross-section measurement at $\sqrt{s} \approx $ 2 TeV from EAS-TOP experiment

The proton-air inelastic cross section value \sigmapairin=338$\pm$21({\it stat})$\pm$19({\it syst})-28({\it syst}) mb at $\sqrt{s} \approx $ 2 TeV has been measured by the EAS-TOP Extensive Air Shower experiment. The absorption length of cosmic ray proton primaries cascades reaching the maximum development at the observation level is obtained from the flux attenuation for different zenith angles (i.e. atmospheric depths). The analysis, including the effects of the heavier primaries contribution and systematic uncertainties, is described. The experimental result is compared with different high energy interaction models and the relationships with the {\it pp} ($\bar pp$) total cross section measurements are discussed.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2009

Evolution of the cosmic ray anisotropy above 10^{14} eV

The amplitude and phase of the cosmic ray anisotropy are well established experimentally between 10^{11} eV and 10^{14} eV. The study of their evolution into the energy region 10^{14}-10^{16} eV can provide a significant tool for the understanding of the steepening ("knee") of the primary spectrum. In this letter we extend the EAS-TOP measurement performed at E_0 around 10^{14} eV, to higher energies by using the full data set (8 years of data taking). Results derived at about 10^{14} and 4x10^{14} eV are compared and discussed. Hints of increasing amplitude and change of phase above 10^{14} eV are reported. The significance of the observation for the understanding of cosmic ray propagation is discussed.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2003

Sensitivity of the ARGO-YBJ strip size spectrum to different models of the primary cosmic ray composition in the energy range 10 - 500 TeV

The ARGO-YBJ experiment is currently under construction at the Yangbajing Cosmic Ray Laboratory (4300 m a.s.l.). The detector will cover 74 X 78 m^2 with a single layer of Resistive Plate Counters (RPCs), surrounded by a partially instrumented guard ring. Signals from each RPC are picked-up with 80 read out strips 6 cm wide and 62 cm long. These strips allow one to count the particle number of small size air showers. In this paper we discuss the digital response of the detector for showers with core located in a small fiducial area inside the carpet. The results enable us to assess the sensitivity of the strip size spectrum measurement to discriminate between different models of the Primary Cosmic Ray composition in the energy range 10 - 500 TeV.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Analog read-out of the RPCs in the ARGO-YBJ experiment

The ARGO-YBJ experiment, currently under construction at the Yangbaijing Laboratory (4300 m a.s.l.), consists of a single layer of about 2000 Resistive Plate Chambers (RPCs) for a total instrumented area of about 6700 m^2. The digital read-out, performed by means of pick-up electrodes 6.7 X 62 cm^2 ('strips'), allows one to measure the particle number of small size showers. To extend the size range up to the knee region it is necessary to implement the charge read-out of the detector chambers. In order to achieve this goal each RPC has been instrumented with two large size pads of dimensions 140 X 125 cm^2. In this paper the performance of the prototype circuit devoted to the charge read-out is reported.

hep-ex↗