Luis del Peral

Model of ionic charge states of impulsive solar energetic particles in solar flares

We have fully developed a computational model (ESCAPE) to follow the behavior of the mean charge state of ions in solar energetic particle events while the ions are accelerated. Our model combines acceleration with energy loss and charge stripping low in the corona. Therefore we have taken into account explicitly the second-order Fermi-type stochastic acceleration under a magnetohydrodynamic turbulence. We have found that the mean ionic charge states depend sensitively on plasma parameters as source temperature or density and on acceleration parameters as efficiency or the timescales for acceleration. Our model finds a systematic increase of the ionic charge states with energy for all the ions studied. This energy dependence differs between ions, and in the energy range of observations this dependence is stronger for heavy ions.

Low energy ion identification method using a silicon semiconductor detector telescope

A method for discriminating cosmic ions that can be applied at low energies using ΔE-E is presented. The method is tested with a simple detector telescope, consisting of surface barrier silicon detectors. The results obtained irradiating the detector with 32S ions at 795 MeV are presented and then compared with those obtained by applying the Seamster et al. algorithm.

CLOUD TOP HEIGHT ESTIMATION FROM WRF MODEL: APPLICATION TO THE INFRARED CAMERA ONBOARD EUSO-BALLOON (CNES)

EUSO-BALLOON was launched on August 24, 2014 from Timmins (Canada) with a bispectral Infrared Camera onboard intended to measure the cloud coverage during the flight. Clouds at mid and upper levels of the Troposphere are crucial for a proper reconstruction of the main parameters of the Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR).Therefore, determining Cloud Top Height (CTH) with high accuracy is crucial to estimate the effect of clouds on these measurements. With this aim, we have developed a method to extract CTH parameter via vertical profiles predicted by the Weather Research Forecast (WRF) model. Moreover, we have evaluated model ability to represent temperature and humidity profiles in different climatic regions of the globe.

New simulation and reconstruction software for the EUSO pathfinders, with example applications

The Extreme Universe Space Observatory (EUSO) is designed to detect the highest energy particles in the Universe by observing the fluorescence and (reflected) Cherenkov light produced when these ultrahigh energy cosmic rays (UHECR) traverse the Earths atmosphere. Unlike existing cosmic ray observatories, EUSO will view the atmosphere from above. A number of pathfinder missions have been completed or are in development in order to evaluate the potential of this method, including a prototype instrument flown aboard a stratospheric balloon, a similar instrument co-located with the Telescope Array, an improved instrument to be flown aboard long-duration super pressure balloon, as well as a precursor instrument called Mini-EUSO, which will fly aboard the international space station. Here we describe a relatively new general-purpose software framework, known as Offline, which facilitates detailed simulation and reconstruction of UHECR events and laser and flasher test shots observed by the various EUSO pathfinders. This new software is based on open-source codes developed over roughly a decade by a collaborative effort of several particle astrophysics and high energy physics experiments, and is designed with the needs of large collaborations in mind. We briefly explain the machinery used to manage user contributions to simulation and reconstruction algorithms, organize an abundance of configuration data, and provide access to time-dependent information on detector and atmospheric properties. We show a number of examples of simulation and reconstruction of the EUSO pathfinder data using this software.

Night time measurement of the UV background by EUSO-Balloon

Š. Mackovjak∗1, A. Neronov1, P. Bobík2, M. Putiš2, L. Del Peral1, 3, M. D. Rodríguez Frías1, 3, 8, K. Shinozaki4, C. Catalano5, J. F. Soriano3, G. Sáez-Cano3, C. Moretto6, S. Bacholle7 for the JEM-EUSO Collaboration 1 ISDC Data Centre for Astrophysics, University of Geneva, Switzerland 2 Department of Space Physics, IEP, Slovak Academy of Sciences, Košice, Slovakia 3 SPace & AStroparticle (SPAS) Group, UAH, Madrid, Spain 4 Institute for Astronomy and Astrophysics, University of Tübingen, Germany 5 Institut de Recherche en Astrophysique et Planétologie, CNRS-UPS Toulouse, France 6 Laboratoire de l’Accélérateur Linéaire, Université Paris Sud, France 7 Laboratoire AstroParticule et Cosmologie, Université Paris Diderot, France 8 IFIC, CSIC, Dpto. Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear, Universitat de València, Spain

The Spanish Infrared Camera onboard the EUSO-Balloon (CNES) flight on August 24, 2014

The EUSO-Balloon (CNES) campaign was held during Summer 2014 with a launch on August 24. In the gondola, next to the Photo Detector Module (PDM), a completely isolated Infrared camera was allocated. Also, a helicopter which shooted flashers flew below the balloon. We have retrieved the Cloud Top Height (CTH) with the IR camera, and also the optical depth of the nonclear atmosphere have been inferred with two approaches: The first one is with the comparison of the brightness temperature of the cloud and the real temperature obtained after the pertinent corrections. The second one is by measuring the detected signal from the helicopter flashers by the IR Camera, considering the energy of the flashers and the location of the helicopter.

METHOD TO INFER ABOUT THE NUCLEAR UHE COSMIC-RAY COMPOSITION FROM THE EAS LATERAL DEVELOPMENT

Abstract Results from a detailed Monte-Carlo simulation for electromagnetic and hadronic cascades in the atmosphere, generated by primary γ-rays, p, O and Fe are provided in the primary energy range 1012–1016 eV for vertical incident showers. In the simulation of the Extensive Air Showers (EAS) development, the CORSIKA (COsmic Ray SImulator for KAscade) code has been used to perform a full simulation of the electromagnetic and hadronic interactions. The lateral development of the electromagnetic component, for both, pure electromagnetic and hadronic cascades have been deeply investigated and the NKG-type functions have been fitted to the lateral developments, to determine the lateral age parameters. Results on the variation of the shower size with the lateral age parameter and primary energy are obtained, as well as fluctuations on shower size at maximum development depth of the EAS and at mountain altitude (X = 800 g cm−2). The main aim of this work is to obtain an accurate procedure to discriminate the nuclear composition of the UHE cosmic rays from the gamma rays background. We also seek to provide relations to interpret the experimental data, for those who do not have detailed simulation calculations available and also to provide material for a full and deep comparison of air shower Monte-Carlo codes.

Cloud Optical Depth obtained from the Infrared Camera data and the UV Flashers mounted on a helicopter flying under the EUSO

Spain. 2 ISDC, Astronomy Dept. University of Geneva, Switzerland. 3 University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH), Huntsville, USA. 4 Colorado School of Mines, Golden, USA. 5 GFA. IMA. University of León, León, Spain. 6 Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (IAC), Vía Lactea S/N, Tenerife, Spain. 7 IDR/UPM, E. T. S. I. Aeronáutica y del Espacio, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, Spain. 8 IFIC, CSIC, U. de València. Dpto. Física Atómica, Molecular y Nuclear, U. de València, Spain.

The Atmospheric Science of JEM-EUSO

An Atmospheric Monitoring System (AMS) is critical suite of instruments for JEM-EUSO whose aim is to detect Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) and (EHECR) from Space. The AMS comprises an advanced space qualified infrared camera and a LIDAR with cross checks provided by a ground-based and airborne Global Light System Stations. Moreover the Slow Data Mode of JEM-EUSO has been proven crucial for the UV background analysis by comparing the UV and IR images. It will also contribute to the investigation of atmospheric effects seen in the data from the GLS or even to our understanding of Space Weather.

What we can infer about the nuclear cosmic ray composition from the EAS longitudinal development

Abstract Results from a detailed Monte Carlo simulation for electromagnetic and hadronic cascades in the atmosphere, generated by primary γ-rays, p, O and Fe are provided in the primary energy range 10 12 –10 16 eV for vertical incident showers. In the simulation of the Extensive Air Showers (EAS) development, the CORSIKA (COsmic Ray SImulator for KAscade) code has been used to perform a full simulation of the electromagnetic and hadronic interactions. The main aims of this simulation are to obtain accurate information on the longitudinal development of the electromagnetic component, for both pure electromagnetic and hadronic cascades, for different primary cosmic rays. Results on the depencdence of the shower size and the photon number with primary energy are obtained. Ratios between the maximum development depth parameter and primary particle energy or the shower size have been studied and predicted values for the electron and photon content and fluctuations on these parameters have been determined at the maximum development depth of the EAS and at mountain altitude ( X = 800 g cm −2 ). We also seek to provide relations to interpret the experimental data, for those who do not have detailed simulation calculations available and also to provide material for a full and deep comparison of air shower Monte Carlo codes.