Long-term calibration and validation of stability of the Auger Engineering Radio Array using the diffuse Galactic radio emission

Authors

• A. Abdul Halim, University of Adelaide
• P. Abreu, Universidade de Lisboa
• M. Aglietta, Osservatorio Astrofisico di Torino (INAF)
• I. Allekotte, Centro Atómico Bariloche and Instituto Balseiro (CNEA-UNCuyo-CONICET)
• K. Almeida Cheminant, Nationaal Instituut voor Kernfysica en Hoge Energie Fysica (NIKHEF)
• R. Aloisio, Gran Sasso Science Institute
• B. Fick, Michigan Technological UniversityFollow
• et al.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

12-11-2025

Department

Department of Physics

Abstract

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) measures radio emission from high-energy extensive air showers. Consisting of 153 autonomous radio-detector stations spread over 17 km^2, it detects radio waves in the frequency range of 30 to 80 MHz. Accurate characterization of the detector response is crucial for proper interpretation of the collected data. Previously, this was achieved through laboratory measurements of the analog chain and simulations and measurements of the antenna's directional response. In this paper, we perform an absolute calibration using the continuously monitored sidereal modulation of the diffuse Galactic radio emission. Calibration is done by comparing the average frequency spectra recorded by the stations with predictions from seven different models of the full radio sky, accounting for the system response, which includes the antenna, filters, and amplifiers. The analysis of the calibration constants over a period of seven years shows no relevant and no significant ageing effect in the AERA antennas. This result confirms the long-term stability of the detector stations and demonstrates the possibility for a radio detector to effectively monitor ageing effects of other detectors operating over extended periods.

Publisher's Statement

© 2025 The Author(s). Published by IOP Publishing Ltd on behalf of Sissa Medialab. Publisher’s version of record: https://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/20/12/P12017

Publication Title

Journal of Instrumentation

Recommended Citation

Halim, A. A., Abreu, P., Aglietta, M., Allekotte, I., Cheminant, K. A., Aloisio, R., Fick, B., & et al. (2025). Long-term calibration and validation of stability of the Auger Engineering Radio Array using the diffuse Galactic radio emission. Journal of Instrumentation. http://doi.org/10.1088/1748-0221/20/12/P12017
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p2/2798

Creative Commons License

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

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