660 research outputs found
Hinting at primary composition using asymmetries in time distributions
Evidence of azimuthal asymmetries in the time structure and signal size have
been found in non-vertical showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory. It has been
previously shown that the asymmetry in time distributions offers a new
possibility for the determination of the mass composition. New studies have
demonstrated that the dependence of the asymmetry parameter in the rise-time
and fall-time distributions with sec(theta) shows a clear peak. Both, the
position of the peak, X_asymax, and the size of the asymmetry at X_asymax are
sensitive to primary mass composition and have a small dependence on energy. In
this paper a study of the discriminating power of the new observables to
separate primary species is presented.Comment: To be published in the Proceedings of 29th International Cosmic Ray
Conference (ICRC 2005), Pune, India, August 3-10, 200
The yield of air fluorescence induced by electrons
The fluorescence yield for dry air and pure nitrogen excited by electrons is
calculated using a combination of well-established molecular properties and
experimental data of the involved cross sections. Particular attention has been
paid to the role of secondary electrons from ionization processes. At high
pressure and high energy, observed fluorescence turns out to be proportional to
the ionization cross section which follows the Born-Bethe law. Predictions on
fluorescence yields in a very wide interval of electron energies (eV - GeV) and
pressures (1 and 1013 hPa) as expected from laboratory measurements are
presented. Experimental results at energies over 1 MeV are in very good
agreement with our calculations for pure nitrogen while discrepancies of about
20% are found for dry air, very likely associated to uncertainties in the
available data on quenching cross sections. The relationship between
fluorescence emission, stopping power and deposited energy is discussed.Comment: 27 pages, 12 figures, 64 references. Accepted in Astroparticle
Physic
Contradiciendo la constitución de la ciudad. Un análisis de los programas habitacionales en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires en el período 2003-2013
El documento que se presenta a continuación nuclea resultados de
investigación construidos de manera colectiva por investigadores del Área de Estudios Urbanos (AEU) del Instituto de Investigaciones Gino Germani (IIGG) preocupados por la producción social del hábitat y las políticas públicas que tienen por escenario la Ciudad de Buenos Aires.
Se reconstruye, desde una perspectiva histórica, el impacto en el desarrollo urbano que tuvo la transformación neoliberal en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires y el rol que desempeñó el Estado en relación con la definición de su política habitacional en este derrotero. En la primera parte del trabajo, se ofrece una caracterización del déficit habitacional en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires,a partir de un análisis cuantitativo y una descripción del diseño institucional de la política habitacional de la ciudad entre los años 1984 2013, profundizando luego en el análisis de las orientaciones establecidas a partir de 2008. Esto se complementa
con un análisis presupuestario para la serie de datos disponibles para el período 2005-2013 y el análisis de la ejecución de cada uno de los programas habitacionales de la Ciudad de Buenos Aires, mostrando continuidades y variaciones entre los años 2001 y 2013. Finalmente, se presentan algunas reflexiones que tienden a aportar a una lectura integrada y tendencial de la política habitacional ejecutada en los últimos años en la Ciudad de Buenos Aires que aporta a la comprensión del crítico cuadro de
emergencia habitacional que azota hoy a la urbe
Influence of hadronic interaction models and the cosmic ray spectrum on the high energy atmospheric muon and neutrino flux
The recent observations of muon charge ratio up to about 10 TeV and of
atmospheric neutrinos up to energies of about 400 TeV has triggered a renewed
interest into the high-energy interaction models and cosmic ray primary
composition. A reviewed calculation of lepton spectra produced in cosmic-ray
induced extensive air showers is carried out with a primary cosmic-ray spectrum
that fits the latest direct measurements below the knee. In order to achieve
this, we used a full Monte Carlo method to derive the inclusive differential
spectra (yields) of muons, muon neutrinos and electron neutrinos at the surface
for energies between 80 GeV and hundreds of PeV. The air shower simulator {\sc
corsika} 6.990 was used for showering and propagation of the secondary
particles through the atmosphere, employing the established high-energy
hadronic interaction models {\sc sibyll} 2.1, {\sc qgsjet-01} and {\sc
qgsjet-ii 03}. We show that the performance of the interaction models allows
makes it possible to predict the spectra within experimental uncertainties,
while {\sc sibyll} generally yields a higher flux at the surface than the
qgsjet models. The calculation of the flavor and charge ratios has lead to
inconsistent results, mainly influenced by the different representations of the
K/ ratio within the models. Furthermore, we could quantify systematic
uncertainties of atmospheric muon- and neutrino fluxes, associated to the
models of the primary cosmic-ray spectrum and the interaction models. For most
recent parametrizations of the cosmic-ray primary spectrum, atmospheric muons
can be determined with an uncertainty smaller than % of the
average flux. Uncertainties of the muon- and electron neutrino fluxes can be
calculated within an average error of % and %,
respectively.Comment: 16 pages, 10 figures, version 2 includes analytic approximatio
Muon counting using silicon photomultipliers in the AMIGA detector of the Pierre Auger observatory
AMIGA (Auger Muons and Infill for the Ground Array) is an upgrade of the Pierre Auger Observatory designed to extend its energy range of detection and to directly measure the muon content of the cosmic ray primary particle showers. The array will be formed by an infill of surface water-Cherenkov detectors associated with buried scintillation counters employed for muon counting. Each counter is composed of three scintillation modules, with a 10m(2) detection area per module. In this paper, a new generation of detectors, replacing the current multi-pixel photomultiplier tube (PMT) with silicon photo sensors (aka. SiPMs), is proposed. The selection of the new device and its front-end electronics is explained. A method to calibrate the counting system that ensures the performance of the detector is detailed. This method has the advantage of being able to be carried out in a remote place such as the one where the detectors are deployed. High efficiency results, i.e. 98% efficiency for the highest tested overvoltage, combined with a low probability of accidental counting (similar to 2 %), show a promising performance for this new system
Calibration of the logarithmic-periodic dipole antenna (LPDA) radio stations at the Pierre Auger Observatory using an octocopter
An in-situ calibration of a logarithmic periodic dipole antenna with a frequency coverage of 30 MHz to 80 MHz is performed. Such antennas are part of a radio station system used for detection of cosmic ray induced air showers at the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre Auger Observatory, the so-called Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA). The directional and frequency characteristics of the broadband antenna are investigated using a remotely piloted aircraft carrying a small transmitting antenna. The antenna sensitivity is described by the vector effective length relating the measured voltage with the electric-field components perpendicular to the incoming signal direction. The horizontal and meridional components are determined with an overall uncertainty of 7.4(-0.3)(+0.9)%and 10.3(-1.7)(+2.8)% respectively. The measurement is used to correct a simulated response of the frequency and directional response of the antenna. In addition, the influence of the ground conductivity and permittivity on the antenna response is simulated. Both have a negligible influence given the ground conditions measured at the detector site. The overall uncertainties of the vector effective length components result in an uncertainty of 8.8(-1.3)(+2.1)% in the square root of the energy fluence for incoming signal directions with zenith angles smaller than 60 degrees
Spectral calibration of the fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory
We present a novel method to measure precisely the relative spectral response of the fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory. We used a portable light source based on a xenon flasher and a monochromator to measure the relative spectral efficiencies of eight telescopes in steps of 5 nm from 280 nm to 440nm. Each point in a scan had approximately 2nm FWHM out of the monochromator. Different sets of telescopes in the observatory have different optical components, and the eight telescopes measured represent two each of the four combinations of components represented in the observatory. We made an end-to-end measurement of the response from different combinations of optical components, and the monochromator setup allowed for more precise and complete measurements than our previous multi-wavelength calibrations. We find an overall uncertainty in the calibration of the spectral response of most of the telescopes of 1.5% for all wavelengths; the six oldest telescopes have larger overall uncertainties of about 2.2%. We also report changes in physics measurables due to the change in calibration, which are generally small
Measurement of Aerosols at the Pierre Auger Observatory
The air fluorescence detectors (FDs) of the Pierre Auger Observatory are
vital for the determination of the air shower energy scale. To compensate for
variations in atmospheric conditions that affect the energy measurement, the
Observatory operates an array of monitoring instruments to record hourly
atmospheric conditions across the detector site, an area exceeding 3,000 square
km. This paper presents results from four instruments used to characterize the
aerosol component of the atmosphere: the Central Laser Facility (CLF), which
provides the FDs with calibrated laser shots; the scanning backscatter lidars,
which operate at three FD sites; the Aerosol Phase Function monitors (APFs),
which measure the aerosol scattering cross section at two FD locations; and the
Horizontal Attenuation Monitor (HAM), which measures the wavelength dependence
of aerosol attenuation.Comment: Contribution to the 30th International Cosmic Ray Conference, Merida
Mexico, July 2007; 4 pages, 4 figure
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