arXiv subjects

Miguel Mostafa

Publications and source records attributed to Miguel Mostafa.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2019

Open Questions in Cosmic-Ray Research at Ultrahigh Energies

We review open questions and prospects for progress in ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) research, based on a series of discussions that took place during the `The High-Energy Universe: Gamma-Ray, Neutrino, and Cosmic-ray Astronomy' MIAPP workshop in 2018. Specifically, we overview open questions on the origin of the bulk of UHECRs, the UHECR mass composition, the origin of the end of the cosmic-ray spectrum, the transition from Galactic to extragalactic cosmic rays, the effect of magnetic fields on the trajectories of UHECRs, anisotropy expectations for specific astrophysical scenarios, hadronic interactions, and prospects for discovering neutral particles as well as new physics at ultrahigh energies. We also briefly present upcoming and proposed UHECR experiments and discuss their projected science reach.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2017

The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection (GRAND): Present and Perspectives

The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection (GRAND) aims at detecting ultra-high energy extraterrestrial neutrinos via the extensive air showers induced by the decay of tau leptons created in the interaction of neutrinos under the Earth's surface. Consisting of an array of $\sim10^5$ radio antennas deployed over $\sim 2\times10^5\,\rm {km}^2$, GRAND plans to reach, for the first time, an all-flavor sensitivity of $\sim1.5\times10^{-10} \,\rm GeV\, cm^{-2} \,s^{-1}\, sr^{-1}$ above $5\times10^{17}$ eV and a sub-degree angular resolution, beyond the reach of other planned detectors. We describe here preliminary designs and simulation results, plans for the ongoing, staged approach to the construction of GRAND, and the rich research program made possible by GRAND's design sensitivity and angular resolution.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2013

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov Observatory

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory is a large field of view, continuously operated, TeV gamma-ray experiment under construction at 4,100 m a.s.l. in Mexico. The HAWC observatory will have an order of magnitude better sensitivity, angular resolution, and background rejection than its predecessor, the Milagro experiment. The improved performance will allow us to detect both transient and steady emissions, to study the Galactic diffuse emission at TeV energies, and to measure or constrain the TeV spectra of GeV gamma-ray sources. In addition, HAWC will be the only ground-based instrument capable of detecting prompt emission from gamma-ray bursts above 50 GeV. The HAWC observatory will consist of an array of 300 water Cherenkov detectors (WCDs), each with four photomultiplier tubes. This array is currently under construction on the flanks of the Sierra Negra volcano near the city of Puebla, Mexico. The first thirty WCDs (forming an array approximately the size of Milagro) were deployed in Summer 2012, and 100 WCDs will be taking data by May, 2013. We present in this paper the motivation for constructing the HAWC observatory, the status of the deployment, and the first results from the constantly growing array.

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arXiv2011

Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays

Ultra high energy particles arrive at Earth constantly. They provide a beam at energies higher than any man-made accelerator, but at a very low rate. Two large experiments, the Pierre Auger Observatory and the Telescope Array experiment, have been taking data for several years now covering together the whole sky. I summarize the most recent measurements from both experiments, I compare their results and, for a change, I highlight their agreements.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2006

The Hybrid Activities of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory detects ultra-high energy cosmic rays by implementing two complementary air-shower techniques. The combination of a large ground array and fluorescence detectors, known as the hybrid concept, means that a rich variety of measurements can be made on a single shower, providing much improved information over what is possible with either detector alone. In this paper I describe the hybrid reconstruction approach and the latest hybrid measurements.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2006

Hybrid Detection of UHECR with the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory detects ultra-high energy cosmic rays by implementing two complementary air-shower techniques. The combination of a large ground array and fluorescence detectors, known as the "hybrid" concept, means that a rich variety of measurements can be made on a single shower, providing much improved information over what is possible with either detector alone. In this paper the hybrid reconstruction approach and its performance are described.

astro-ph↗

arXiv2003

Atmospheric Monitoring for the Pierre Auger Fluorescence Detector

Major uncertainties in the fluorescence energy measurement come from the precision of various atmospheric transmission, air Cerenkov subtraction, light multiple-scattering and cloud corrections. The Auger program for atmospheric monitoring, designed to measure these corrections and to minimize these uncertainties, is summarized in this paper.

astro-ph↗