Testing effects of Lorentz invariance violation in the propagation of astroparticles with the Pierre Auger Observatory

Lorentz invariance violation (LIV) is often described by dispersion relations of the form E-i(2) = m(i)(2) + p(i)(2) + delta E-i,n(2+ n) with delta different based on particle type i, with energy E, momentum p and rest mass m. Kinematics and energy thresholds of interactions are modified once the LIV terms become comparable to the squared masses of the particles involved. Thus, the strongest constraints on the LIV coefficients delta(i,n) tend to come from the highest energies. At sufficiently high energies, photons produced by cosmic ray interactions as they propagate through the Universe could be subluminal and unattenuated over cosmological distances. Cosmic ray interactions can also be modified and lead to detectable fingerprints in the energy spectrum and mass composition observed on Earth. The data collected at the Pierre Auger Observatory are therefore possibly sensitive to both the electromagnetic and hadronic sectors of LIV. In this article, we explore these two sectors by comparing the energy spectrum and the composition of cosmic rays and the upper limits on the photon flux from the Pierre Auger Observatory with simulations including LIV. Constraints on LIV parameters depend strongly on the mass composition of cosmic rays at the highest energies. For the electromagnetic sector, while no constraints can be obtained in the absence of protons beyond 10(19) eV, we obtain delta(gamma,0) \u3e -10-21, delta(gamma,1) \u3e -10(-4)0 eV(-1) and delta(gamma,2) \u3e -10(-58) eV(-2) in the case of a subdominant proton component up to 10(20) eV. For the hadronic sector, we study the best description of the data as a function of LIV coefficients and we derive constraints in the hadronic sector such as delta(had,0) \u3c 10(-1)9, delta(had),1 \u3c 10-38 eV(-1) and delta(had),2 \u3c 10-57 eV(-2) at 5 sigma CL

A Novel Tool for the Absolute End-to-End Calibration of Fluorescence Telescopes -- The XY-Scanner

The Pierre Auger Observatory uses 27 large-aperture wide-angle Schmidt telescopes to measure the longitudinal profile of air showers using the air-fluorescence technique. Up to the year 2013, the absolute calibration of the telescopes was performed by mounting a uniform large-diameter light source on each of the telescopes and illuminating the entire aperture with a known photon flux. Due to the high amount of work and person-power required, this procedure was only carriedout roughly once every three years, and a relative calibration was performed every night to track short-term changes. Since 2013, only the relative calibration has been performed. In this paper, we present a novel tool for the absolute end-to-end calibration of the fluorescence detectors, the XY-Scanner. The XY-Scanner uses a portable integrating sphere as a light source, which has been absolutely calibrated. This light source is installed onto a motorized rail system and moved across the aperture of each telescope. We mimic the illumination of the entire aperture by flashing the light source at ∼1700 positions evenly distributed across the telescope aperture. For the absolute calibration of the light source, we built a dedicated setup that uses a NIST-calibrated photodiode to measure the average photon flux and a PMT to track the pulse-to-pulse stability. We present the laboratory setups used to study the characteristics of the employed light sources and discuss the inter-calibration between selected telescopes

Radio Interferometry applied to air showers recorded by the Auger Engineering Radio Array

A new radio interferometric technique was recently developed that takes into account time lags caused by the three-dimensional dependency of the refractive index in the atmosphere. It enables us to track the extensive air shower while it propagates through the atmosphere. Using this technique, properties of the air shower can be estimated, like the depth of maximum and the axis of propagation. In order to apply this method, strict constraints on the time-synchronisation between radio antennas in an array must be satisfied. In this contribution, we show that the Auger Engineering Radio Array can meet these timing criteria by operating a time reference beacon. We will show how this enables us to reconstruct air shower properties using the radio interferometric technique

Long-term calibration and stability of the Auger Engineering Radio Array using the diffuse Galactic radio emission

The Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA), part of the Pierre Auger Observatory, is currently the largest facility to measure radio emissions from ultra-high energy extensive air showers. It comprises 153 autonomous radio-detector stations, covering an area of 17 km<sup>2</sup>, and measures radio waves in the frequency range from 30 to 80 MHz. An accurate description of the detector response is necessary to interpret the data collected by the stations correctly. Previously, this was achieved by measuring the analog chain in the laboratory and simulating and measuring the directional response of the antenna. In this work, we perform an absolute calibration using the continuously monitored sidereal modulation of the diffuse Galactic radio emission. The calibration is performed by comparing the average spectra recorded by the stations with a model of the full radio sky propagated through the system response, including the antenna, filters and amplifiers. We describe the method to determine the calibration constants for each antenna and present the corresponding results. Furthermore, the behavior of the calibration constants is studied as a function of time. There is no relevant aging effect over a timescale of a decade, which shows that radio detectors could help monitor possible aging effects of other detector systems during long-term operations, stressing their importance in determining an absolute energy scale

International Masterclasses as part of the Pierre Auger Observatory program of Outreach and Education

The Pierre Auger Observatory is committed to bringing education and knowledge of cosmic rays to the public, with a strong focus on schools and students. Over the last few years, initiatives have been developed, such as the Science Fair, virtual visits, and participation in international activities on the subject of cosmic rays, including collaborations with external groups. Modern digital tools bringing novel ways of interacting with the public have been explored at these initiatives and also locally at a renewed Visitor Center in Malargüe. The development of tools for the public release of the Auger data, including standardized data formats, analysis notebooks, and a 3D interactive event display, led to the creation of a new activity directed to high-school students called Masterclasses. The participants are challenged to perform the reconstruction and selection of events using a graphical interface with 3D effects, then combined into a smoothed, exposure-corrected sky map of arrival directions. A final discussion takes place in which the students engage with peers and scientists, looking for answers about the origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. The concept had a successful debut in 2022 and was included in the 2023 edition of the International Masterclasses on Particle Physics, reaching students worldwide