Mario E. Bertaina

Radar reflection off extensive air showers

We investigate the possibility of detecting extensive air showers by the radar technique. Considering a bistatic radar system and different shower geometries, we simulate reflection of radio waves off the static plasma produced by the shower in the air. Using the Thomson cross-section for radio wave reflection, we obtain the time evolution of the signal received by the antennas. The frequency upshift of the radar echo and the power received are studied to verify the feasibility of the radar detection technique.

The cosmic ray primary spectrum in the transition region between direct and indirect measurements (10 TeV - 10 PeV)

The cosmic ray spectrum between 10 TeV and 10 PeV is a key region to understand the origin and the acceleration processes of the galactic radiation. Around 100 TeV measurements performed by balloons and air shower arrays partially overlap. The experimental results recently obtained by both techniques are summarized. The picture that comes out from a common interpretation of the data is a steeper proton spectrum compared to the helium and CNO groups with a dominance of the helium component in the knee region. The agreeement on the proton spectrum by balloons and air shower arrays is remarkable.

Study of jet production in p–N interactions at s≈500 GeV in EAS multicore events

Abstract The cross section for large p t jet production for transverse momentum 10≤ p t ≤20 GeV/c and rapidity 1.6≤ η ≤2.6 in p – N ( p –`air) interactions is studied from the analysis of multicore Extensive Air Showers recorded in the EAS–TOP calorimeter. The projectiles are the leading particles interacting at atmospheric depths between 250 and 480 cm −2 , the CMS energy of interaction being s ≈500 GeV. The slope of the p t distribution agrees with the expected one from the p – p collider data at the same CMS energy. The measured jet production cross section in p – N interactions with respect to p – p interactions is (dσ/dp t ) pN jet =(dσ/dp t ) p p jet ·A α with α =1.56±0.07 for A =14.7 (average mass number of `air nuclei). Such value is compatible within the experimental uncertainties with the one obtained in p –nucleus accelerator measurements at s ≃30 GeV in the same range of transverse momentum and rapidity. No indication of increase of α with energy, i.e. of the entity of the `Cronin effect, is found.

Large-P T physics with cosmic-ray events

SummaryExtensive Air Shower (EAS) experiments with high granularity have reported the detection of multicore events. On the other hand, multicluster and double-core events have been observed with emulsion chambers (EC) at mountain altitudes since the late 70s. A striking characteristic of these events is the large transverse momentum of the clusters. At accelerator energy region, it is known that jet production in deep inelastic hadronic processes is associated with the emission of large-PT particles. In this paper we analyse the possibility that both EAS and EC events represent the same physical process, discussing the physical consequences of this fact and the possibilities offered by both techniques in integrating the accelerators data.

A Multi-Level Triggering System for the Mini-EUSO UV Telescope

As a pathfinder for the JEM-EUSO mission, Mini-EUSO is a 25cm diameter telescope which is going to be launched and positioned inside the International Space Station (ISS) in 2018. The main scientific goal of this mission is the achievement of a state-of-the-art UV map of the Earth from a 400 Km altitude, with

Mini-EUSO photodetector module data processing system

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Demonstration designs for the remediation of space debris from the International Space Station

km of pixel spatial resolution, collecting data though a multi-level triggering system. The signal is collected with Multi-Anode Photo Multiplier Tubes (MAPMTs) and digitized by means of custom chips. The raw data moves then to a central system, the Zynq Board, where the trigger operates a data selection dividing different classes of events characterized by specific time scales. The acquired UV map will be used as discrimination threshold for the Extreme Energy Cosmic-Ray detection.

Observation of microwave emission from extensive air showers with CROME

Mini-EUSO is a UV telescope which is developed by the JEM-EUSO collaboration to be placed on board the International Space Station (ISS) to carry out measurements of UV atmosphere airglow and transient luminous events (TLEs) in a wide field of view (

Cosmic rays from the knee to the ankle

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Search for chaotic features in the arrival times of air showers

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