Detection of ultra-high energy cosmic ray showers with a single-pixel fluorescence telescope

0463937 - FZÚ 2021 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Fujii, T. - Malacari, M. - Bertaina, M. - Casolino, E. - Dawson, B. - Horváth, P. - Hrabovský, M. - Jiang, J. - Mandát, Dušan - Matalon, A. - Matthews, J.N. - Motloch, P. - Palatka, Miroslav - Pech, Miroslav - Privitera, P. - Schovánek, Petr - Takizawa, Y. - Thomas, S.B. - Trávníček, Petr - Yamazaki, K.
Detection of ultra-high energy cosmic ray showers with a single-pixel fluorescence telescope.
Astroparticle Physics. Roč. 74, Feb (2016), s. 64-72. ISSN 0927-6505. E-ISSN 1873-2852
R&D Projects: GA MŠMT(CZ) LG13007; GA MŠMT LM2015038
Institutional support: RVO:68378271
Keywords : ultra-high energy cosmic rays * fluorescence detector * extensive air shower
OECD category: Particles and field physics
Impact factor: 3.257, year: 2016
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2015.10.006

We present a concept for large-area, low-cost detection of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) with a Fluorescence detector Array of Single-pixel Telescopes (FAST), addressing the requirements for the next generation of UHECR experiments. In the FAST design, a large field of view is covered by a few pixels at the focal plane of a mirror or Fresnel lens. We report first results of a FAST prototype installed at the Telescope Array site, consisting of a single 200 mm photomultiplier tube at the focal plane of a 1 m(2) Fresnel lens system taken from the prototype of the JEM-EUSO experiment. The FAST prototype took data for 19 nights, demonstrating remarkable operational stability. We detected laser shots at distances of several kilometers as well as 16 highly significant UHECR shower candidates.
Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0263016