2,448 research outputs found
Addendum: Ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray bounds on nonbirefringent modified-Maxwell theory
Nonbirefringent modified-Maxwell theory, coupled to standard Dirac particles,
involves nine dimensionless parameters, which can be bounded by the inferred
absence of vacuum Cherenkov radiation for ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays
(UHECRs). With selected UHECR events, two-sided bounds on the eight
nonisotropic parameters are obtained at the 10^{-18} level, together with an
improved one-sided bound on the single isotropic parameter at the 10^{-19}
level.Comment: 5 pages with revtex
On a possible photon origin of the most-energetic AGASA events
In this work the ultra high energy cosmic ray events recorded by the AGASA
experiment are analysed. With detailed simulations of the extensive air showers
initiated by photons, the probabilities are determined of the photonic origin
of the 6 AGASA events for which the muon densities were measured and the
reconstructed energies exceeded 10^20 eV. On this basis a new, preliminary
upper limit on the photon fraction in cosmic rays above 10^20 eV is derived and
compared to the predictions of exemplary top-down cosmic-ray origin models.Comment: 3 pages, 1 figure, 2 tables; presented at XIII ISVHECRI, Pylos,
Greec
Comparison of Hadronic Interaction Models at Auger Energies
The three hadronic interaction models DPMJET 2.55, QGSJET 01, and SIBYLL 2.1,
implemented in the air shower simulation program CORSIKA, are compared in the
energy range of interest for the Pierre Auger experiment. The model dependence
of relevant quantities in individual hadronic interactions and air showers is
investigated.Comment: Contribution to XII Int. Symp. on Very High Energy Cosmic Ray
Interactions, 4 pages, 8 figure
Characteristics of geomagnetic cascading of ultra-high energy photons at the southern and northern sites of the Pierre Auger Observatory
Cosmic-ray photons above 10^19 eV can convert in the geomagnetic field and
initiate a preshower, i.e. a particle cascade before entering the atmosphere.
We compare the preshower characteristics at the southern and northern sites of
the Pierre Auger Observatory. In addition to a shift of the preshower patterns
on the sky due to the different pointing of the local magnetic field vectors,
the fact that the northern Auger site is closer to the geomagnetic pole results
in a different energy dependence of the preshower effect: photon conversion can
start at smaller energies, but large conversion probabilitites (>90%) are
reached for the whole sky at higher energies compared to the southern Auger
site. We show how the complementary preshower features at the two sites can be
used to search for ultra-high energy photons among cosmic rays. In particular,
the different preshower characteristics at the northern Auger site may provide
an elegant and unambiguous confirmation if a photon signal is detected at the
southern site.Comment: 25 pages, 14 figures, minor changes, conclusions unchanged, Appendix
A replaced, accepted by Astroparticle Physic
Primary Particle Type of the Most Energetic Fly's Eye Air Shower
The longitudinal profile of the most energetic cosmic-ray air shower measured
so far, the event recorded by the Fly's Eye detector with a reconstructed
primary energy of about 320 EeV, is compared to simulated shower profiles. The
calculations are performed with the CORSIKA code and include primary photons
and different hadron primaries. For primary photons, preshower formation in the
geomagnetic field is additionally treated in detail. For primary hadrons, the
hadronic interaction models QGSJET01 and SIBYLL2.1 have been employed. The
predicted longitudinal profiles are compared to the observation. A method for
testing the hypothesis of a specific primary particle type against the measured
profile is described which naturally takes shower fluctuations into account.
The Fly's Eye event is compatible with any assumption of a hadron primary
between proton and iron nuclei in both interaction models, although differences
between QGSJET01 and SIBYLL2.1 in the predicted profiles of lighter nuclei
exist. The primary photon profiles differ from the data on a level of ~1.5
sigma. Although not favoured by the observation, the primary photon hypothesis
can not be rejected for this particular event.Comment: 20 pages, 8 figures; v2 matches version accepted by Astroparticle
Physic
catalysis
The development of model catalyst systems for heterogeneous catalysis going
beyond the metal single crystal approach, including phenomena involving the
limited size of metal nanoparticles supported on oxide surfaces, as well as
the electronic interaction through the oxide–metal interface, is exemplified
on the basis of two case studies from the laboratory of the authors. In the
first case study the reactivity of supported Pd nanoparticles is studied in
comparison with Pd single crystals. The influence of carbon contaminants on
the hydrogenation reaction of unsaturated hydrocarbons is discussed. Carbon
contaminants are identified as a key parameter in those reactions as they
control the surface and sub-surface concentration of hydrogen on and in the
particles. In the second case study, scanning probe techniques are used to
determine electronic and structural properties of supported Au particles as a
function of the number of Au atoms in the particle. It is demonstrated how
charge transfer between the support and the particle determines the shape of
nanoparticles and a concept is developed that uses charge transfer control
through dopants in the support to understand and design catalytically active
materials
Improved model for the analysis of air fluorescence induced by electrons
A model recently proposed for the calculation of air-fluorescence yield
excited by electrons is revisited. Improved energy distributions of secondary
electrons and a more realistic Monte Carlo simulation including some additional
processes have allowed us to obtain more accurate results. The model is used to
study in detail the relationship between fluorescence intensity and deposited
energy in a wide range of primary energy (keVs - GeVs). In addition,
predictions on the absolute value of the fluorescence efficiency in the absence
of collisional quenching will be presented and compared with available
experimental data.Comment: Contribution to the 5th Fluorescence Workshop, El Escorial, Madrid,
Spain, September 2007, to appear in Nuclear Instruments and Methods A.
Revised version.- More details on the comparison with experimental dat
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