WoU-MMA: Enhancing the Neutrino Sensitivity of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The origin of ultra-high energy cosmic rays is not yet a settled question. Detection of ultra-high energy photons or neutrinos, which travel from their source without deflection by interstellar magnetic fields, would help elucidate the nature of the acceleration sites and our understanding of the extreme universe. The Pierre Auger Observatory is the largest operating cosmic ray observatory in the world, containing 1,660 surface detector stations spread over 3,000 square km, overlooked by 4 fluorescence telescope eyes, which observe cosmic rays interacting in the earth's atmosphere.

An upgrade to the observatory called AugerPrime is currently underway to enhance the experimental capabilities. This award supports scientists at the Michigan Technological University in ultra-high energy cosmic ray astrophysics research using the Pierre Auger Observatory and the AugerPrime upgrade. The focus of the research program is increasing the detection efficiency of the surface detectors of the observatory for ultra-high energy neutrinos and photons, thereby augmenting the multi-messenger astrophysics capabilities.

This program introduces undergraduate students, in particular underrepresented groups, to front-line astrophysics research, and trains graduate students in the art of developing scientific instrumentation.

The primary goal of the Pierre Auger Observatory in the next decade is to discover the origin of ultra-high energy cosmic rays, the most energetic particles observed in the universe. The AugerPrime upgrade provides the observatory with the ability to simultaneously measure the muonic and electromagnetic components of extensive air showers, thereby enhancing the ability of the observatory to study ultra-high energy cosmic ray composition, composition-assisted anisotropies, and hadronic interaction effects at the highest energies.

Simulations of neutrino and photon induced air showers will be applied to examine the characteristics of the signals recorded by the AugerPrime surface detectors. This information will be utilized to realize more sensitive level 1 and level 2 trigger algorithms in the field programmable gate array that generates the triggers in each detector station of the Auger Observatory surface array, resulting in the increased sensitivity needed to target the first detections of ultra-high energy neutrinos and photons by the observatory.

This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.