arXiv subjects

N. Hollon

Publications and source records attributed to N. Hollon.

4 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2013

On the prospects of ultra-high energy cosmic rays detection by high altitude antennas

Radio emission from Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) showers detected after specular reflection off the Antarctic ice surface has been recently demonstrated by the ANITA balloon-borne experiment. An antenna observing a large area of ice or water from a mountaintop, a balloon or a satellite may be competitive with more conventional techniques. We present an estimate of the exposure of a high altitude antenna, which provides insight on the prospects of this technique for UHECR detection. We find that a satellite antenna may reach a significantly larger exposure than existing UHECR observatories, but an experimental characterization of the radio reflected signal is required to establish the potential of this approach. A balloon-borne or a mountaintop antenna are found not to be competitive under any circumstances.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2012

Search for microwave emission from ultrahigh energy cosmic rays

We present a search for microwave emission from air showers induced by ultrahigh energy cosmic rays with the microwave detection of air showers experiment. No events were found, ruling out a wide range of power flux and coherence of the putative emission, including those suggested by recent laboratory measurements.

astro-ph.HE↗

arXiv2012

The MIDAS telescope for microwave detection of ultra-high energy cosmic rays

We present the design, implementation and data taking performance of the MIcrowave Detection of Air Showers (MIDAS) experiment, a large field of view imaging telescope designed to detect microwave radiation from extensive air showers induced by ultra-high energy cosmic rays. This novel technique may bring a tenfold increase in detector duty cycle when compared to the standard fluorescence technique based on detection of ultraviolet photons. The MIDAS telescope consists of a 4.5 m diameter dish with a 53-pixel receiver camera, instrumented with feed horns operating in the commercial extended C-Band (3.4 -- 4.2 GHz). A self-trigger capability is implemented in the digital electronics. The main objectives of this first prototype of the MIDAS telescope - to validate the telescope design, and to demonstrate a large detector duty cycle - were successfully accomplished in a dedicated data taking run at the University of Chicago campus prior to installation at the Pierre Auger Observatory.

astro-ph.IM↗

arXiv2011

The Microwave Air Yield Beam Experiment (MAYBE): measurement of GHz radiation for Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays detection

We present first measurements by MAYBE of microwave emission from an electron beam induced air plasma, performed at the electron Van de Graaff facility of the Argonne National Laboratory. Coherent radio Cherenkov, a major background in a previous beam experiment, is not produced by the 3 MeV beam, which simplifies the interpretation of the data. Radio emission is studied over a wide range of frequencies between 3 and 12 GHz. This measurement provides further insight on microwave emission from extensive air showers as a novel detection technique for Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays.

physics.ins-det↗