Trigger and aperture of the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory

Authors

• J. Abraham, Universidad Tecnologica Nacional
• P. Abreu, Instituto Superior Técnico
• M. Aglietta, Università degli Studi di Torino
• E. J. Ahn, Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory
• D. Allard, APC - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
• I. Allekotte, Instituto Balseiro
• J. Allen, New York University
• J. Alvarez-Muñiz, Universidad de Santiago de Compostela
• M. Ambrosio, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
• L. Anchordoqui, University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee
• S. Andringa, Instituto Superior Técnico
• T. Antičić, Institute Ruder Boskovic
• A. Anzalone, INAF Istituto di Astrofisica Spaziale e Fisica Cosmica di Palermo
• C. Aramo, Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II
• E. Arganda, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
• K. Arisaka, University of California, Los Angeles
• F. Arqueros, Universidad Complutense de Madrid
• H. Asorey, Instituto Balseiro
• P. Assis, Instituto Superior Técnico
• J. Aublin, Laboratoire de Physique Nucléaire et de Hautes Energies
• M. Ave, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Campus North
• G. Avila, Pierre Auger Observatory
• T. Bäcker, Universität Siegen
• D. Badagnani, Universidad Nacional de La Plata
• M. Balzer, Karlsruhe Institute of Technology, Campus North
• K. B. Barber, The University of Adelaide
• A. F. Barbosa, Centro Brasileiro de Pesquisas Físicas
• S. L.C. Barroso, Universidade Estadual do Sudoeste da Bahia
• B. Baughman, The Ohio State University
• P. Bauleo, Colorado State University
• J. J. Beatty, The Ohio State University
• B. R. Becker, The University of New Mexico
• J. C. Diaz, Michigan Technological University
• B. Fick, Michigan Technological UniversityFollow
• R. Kieckhafer, Michigan Technological UniversityFollow
• D. Nitz, Michigan Technological UniversityFollow
• et al.

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

1-21-2010

Department

Department of Physics

Abstract

The surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory consists of 1600 water-Cherenkov detectors, for the study of extensive air showers (EAS) generated by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. We describe the trigger hierarchy, from the identification of candidate showers at the level of a single detector, amongst a large background (mainly random single cosmic ray muons), up to the selection of real events and the rejection of random coincidences. Such trigger makes the surface detector array fully efficient for the detection of EAS with energy above 3 × 1018 eV, for all zenith angles between 0{ring operator} and 60{ring operator}, independently of the position of the impact point and of the mass of the primary particle. In these range of energies and angles, the exposure of the surface array can be determined purely on the basis of the geometrical acceptance.

Publication Title

Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

Recommended Citation

Abraham, J., Abreu, P., Aglietta, M., Ahn, E., Allard, D., Allekotte, I., Allen, J., Alvarez-Muñiz, J., Ambrosio, M., Anchordoqui, L., Andringa, S., Antičić, T., Anzalone, A., Aramo, C., Arganda, E., Arisaka, K., Arqueros, F., Asorey, H., Assis, P., Aublin, J., Ave, M., Avila, G., Bäcker, T., Badagnani, D., Balzer, M., Barber, K., Barbosa, A., Barroso, S., Baughman, B., Bauleo, P., Beatty, J., Becker, B., Diaz, J., Fick, B., Kieckhafer, R., Nitz, D., & et al. (2010). Trigger and aperture of the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research, Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment, 613(1), 29-39. http://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2009.11.018
Retrieved from: https://digitalcommons.mtu.edu/michigantech-p/6943