Since 2014, the university campus of Hellenic Open University (HOU) has hosted the Astroneu array, which is dedicated to the detection of extensive air showers (EAS) induced by high-energy cosmic ...rays (CR). The Astroneu array incorporates 9 large particle scintillation detectors and 6 antennas sensitive to the radio frequency (RF) range 1–200 MHz. The detectors are adjusted in three autonomous stations operating in an environment with a strong electromagnetic background. As shown by previous studies, EAS radio detection in such environments is possible using innovative noise rejection methods, as well as advanced analysis techniques. In this work, we present the analysis of the collected radio data corresponding to an operational period of approximately four years. We present the performance of the Astroneu radio array in reconstructing the EAS axis direction using different RF detector geometrical layouts and a technique for the estimation of the shower core by comparing simulation and experimental data. Moreover, we measure the relative amplitudes of the two mechanisms that give rise to RF emission (the Askaryan effect and geomagnetic emission) and show that they are in good agreement with previous studies as well as with the simulation predictions.
The HELYCON project aims at the installation of cosmic air-shower detectors on the roofs of high-school buildings in western Greece. During the last four years, the HELYCON project made a substantial ...progress. Three HELYCON stations were installed and are still in operation at the Hellenic Open University (HOU) campus, while a small-scale air-shower detector ( μ Cosmics detector), suitable for in classroom operation, was developed. During the construction and operation of these detectors, many experimental tests and calibration procedures were established, offering the framework for the educational activities of the HELYCON project. In this work, we present the recent developments of the HELYCON project and describe the main aspects of the methodology we use in a five-day training program that introduces the Greek education community to the experimental procedures of HELYCON.
The design and construction of a small-area, low-cost educational cosmic ray telescope is presented. It can be operated in high-school classrooms or university laboratories. The telescope consists of ...three small-area scintillation detectors with all the necessary electronics for powering, control, monitoring, and data acquisition. The calibration procedures and the performance of the telescope in reconstructing Extensive Air Showers are also presented.
The Hellenic Open University (HOU) Cosmic Ray Telescope (ASTRONEU) consists of 9 large scintillator detectors and 3 RF antennas arranged in three autonomous stations operating at the Hellenic Open ...University campus in the city of Patras. High energy showers that are detected simultaneously by two distant stations and in coincidence with the RF antennas are used to study the RF signature of cosmic events. In previous studies we have shown that the timing of the RF signals as well as the measured electric field at the antennas position are in very good agreement with the simulation predictions. In this work we concentrate on the transfer functions of the antennas which are strongly frequency and angular dependent. We show that the RF spectra (at frequencies 30-80 MHz) of the detected showers are exhibiting features of the antenna response as predicted by detailed Monte Carlo simulation suggesting that a single antenna RF spectrum gives access to the cosmic ray arrival direction.
The Astroneu array comprises 9 large charged particle detectors and 3 RF antennas arranged in three autonomous stations operating at the University Campus of the Hellenic Open University in the city ...of Patras. Each station of the array detects extensive air showers with primary energy threshold of about 10 TeV, while double station coincidence events select showers with energies higher than 10 3 TeV. In such an environment, the radio detection of air showers is challenging. The RF signals besides being extremely weak they also suffer from strong human made electromagnetic noise. In this work, we present the analysis of double station coincidence events and we study the correlation of the RF data with the particle detectors data. We use the experimental information from the particle detectors and the antennas to select very high energy showers and we compare the timing of the RF signals with the timing of the particle detector signals as well as the strength of the RF signals with the simulation predictions.
Astroneu is an array of autonomous extensive air shower detection stations deployed at the Hellenic Open University (HOU) campus on the outskirts of Patras in Western Greece. In the first phase of ...operation, nine scintillators detectors and three radio frequency (RF) antennas have been installed and operated at the site. The detector units were arranged in three autonomous stations each consisting of three scintillator detectors (SDM) and one RF antenna. In the second phase of operation, three more antennas were deployed at one station in order to study the correlation of the RF signals from four antennas subject to the same shower event. In this report, we present the standard offline SDM-RF data and simulations analysis, the main research results concerning the reconstruction of the EAS parameters as well as the prospects of a new compact array that will be deployed by 2023.
NESTOR first results Tsirigotis, Apostolos G.
The European physical journal. C, Particles and fields,
07/2004, Letnik:
33, Številka:
S1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Odprti dostop
AbstractThe first floor of the NESTOR underwater neutrino telescope was successfully deployed during March 2003, fully equipped with electronics. We briefly outline the NESTOR project, the analysis ...methods and techniques, and we present results using 30% of the accumulated triggers.
Study of the calibration potential of HELYCON detectors with ANTARES Ernenwein, Jean-Pierre; Tsirigotis, Apostolos; Tzamarias, Spyros
Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment,
04/2009, Letnik:
602, Številka:
1
Journal Article
Recenzirano
The “HEllenic LYceum Cosmic Observatories Network” (HELYCON) Collaboration is constructing a network of detector stations dedicated to the study of Extensive Air Showers. The use of HELYCON detectors ...is also envisaged for the calibration of a cubic kilometer scale Mediterranean neutrino telescope by means of an array of these detectors at the sea surface. The ANTARES framework is well suited to perform a first test of the principle: a feasibility study is on-going and a test in real conditions is foreseen. In this paper the requirements for evaluating the calibration potential of a surface array in the ANTARES context are discussed.
Since 2014, the University Campus of the Hellenic Open University (HOU) hosts the Astroneu array which is dedicated to the detection of Extensive Air Showers (EAS) induced by high energy Cosmic Rays ...(CR). The Astroneu array incorporates 9 large particle scintillation detectors and 6 antennas sensitive in the Radio Frequency (RF) range 1-200 MHz. The detectors are adjusted in three autonomous stations operating in an environment with strong electromagnetic background. As shown by previous studies, EAS radio detection in such environments is possible using innovative noise rejection methods, as well as advanced analysis techniques. In this work, we present the analysis of the collected radio data corresponding to an operational period of approximately four years. We present the performance of the Astroneu radio array in reconstructing the EAS axis direction using different RF detector geometrical layouts and a technique for the estimation of the shower core by comparing simulation and experimental data. Moreover, we measure the relative amplitudes of the two mechanisms that give rise to RF emission (Askaryan effect and Geomagnetic emission) and show that they are in good agreement with previous studies as well as with the simulation predictions.
The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection (GRAND) is an envisioned observatory of ultra-high-energy particles of cosmic origin, with energies in excess of 100 PeV. GRAND uses large surface arrays ...of autonomous radio-detection units to look for the radio emission from extensive air showers that are triggered by the interaction of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, gamma rays, and neutrinos in the atmosphere or underground. In particular, for ultra-high-energy neutrinos, the future final phase of GRAND aims to be sensitive enough to discover them in spite of their plausibly tiny flux. Presently, three prototype GRAND radio arrays are in operation: GRANDProto300, in China, GRAND@Auger, in Argentina, and GRAND@Nancay, in France. Their goals are to field-test the design of the radio-detection units, understand the radio background to which they are exposed, and develop tools for diagnostic, data gathering, and data analysis. This list of contributions to the 38th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC 2023) presents an overview of GRAND, in its present and future incarnations, and a look at the first data collected by GRANDProto13, the first phase of GRANDProto300.