Atmospheric effects on extensive air showers observed with the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

Atmospheric parameters, such as pressure (P), temperature (T) and density, affect the development of extensive air showers initiated by energetic cosmic rays. We have studied the impact of atmospheric variations on extensive air showers by means of the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The rate of events shows a ~10% seasonal modulation and ~2% diurnal one. We find that the observed behaviour is explained by a model including the effects associated with the variations of pressure and density. The former affects the longitudinal development of air showers while the latter influences the Moliere radius and hence the lateral distribution of the shower particles. The model is validated with full simulations of extensive air showers using atmospheric profiles measured at the site of the Pierre Auger Observatory.Comment: 24 pages, 9 figures, accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physic

Update on the correlation of the highest energy cosmic rays with nearby extragalactic matter

Data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory through 31 August 2007 showed evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuz'min energy threshold, \nobreak{$6\times 10^{19}$eV}. The anisotropy was measured by the fraction of arrival directions that are less than $3.1^\circ$ from the position of an active galactic nucleus within 75 Mpc (using the V\'eron-Cetty and V\'eron $12^{\rm th}$ catalog). An updated measurement of this fraction is reported here using the arrival directions of cosmic rays recorded above the same energy threshold through 31 December 2009. The number of arrival directions has increased from 27 to 69, allowing a more precise measurement. The correlating fraction is $(38^{+7}_{-6})$, compared with $21$ expected for isotropic cosmic rays. This is down from the early estimate of $(69^{+11}_{-13})$. The enlarged set of arrival directions is examined also in relation to other populations of nearby extragalactic objects: galaxies in the 2 Microns All Sky Survey and active galactic nuclei detected in hard X-rays by the Swift Burst Alert Telescope. A celestial region around the position of the radiogalaxy Cen A has the largest excess of arrival directions relative to isotropic expectations. The 2-point autocorrelation function is shown for the enlarged set of arrival directions and compared to the isotropic expectation.Comment: Accepted for publication in Astroparticle Physics on 31 August 201

The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays. It combines a surface array to measure secondary particles at ground level together with a fluorescence detector to measure the development of air showers in the atmosphere above the array. The fluorescence detector comprises 24 large telescopes specialized for measuring the nitrogen fluorescence caused by charged particles of cosmic ray air showers. In this paper we describe the components of the fluorescence detector including its optical system, the design of the camera, the electronics, and the systems for relative and absolute calibration. We also discuss the operation and the monitoring of the detector. Finally, we evaluate the detector performance and precision of shower reconstructions.Comment: 53 pages. Submitted to Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section

Search for First Harmonic Modulation in the Right Ascension Distribution of Cosmic Rays Detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory

We present the results of searches for dipolar-type anisotropies in different energy ranges above $2.5\times 10^{17}$ eV with the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory, reporting on both the phase and the amplitude measurements of the first harmonic modulation in the right-ascension distribution. Upper limits on the amplitudes are obtained, which provide the most stringent bounds at present, being below 2% at 99% $C.L.$ for EeV energies. We also compare our results to those of previous experiments as well as with some theoretical expectations.Comment: 28 pages, 11 figure

Techniques for measuring aerosol attenuation using the Central Laser Facility at the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory in Malargüe, Argentina, is designed to study the properties of ultra-high energy cosmic rays with energies above 10(18) eV. It is a hybrid facility that employs a Fluorescence Detector to perform nearly calorimetric measurements of Extensive Air Shower energies. To obtain reliable calorimetric information from the FD, the atmospheric conditions at the observatory need to be continuously monitored during data acquisition. In particular, light attenuation due to aerosols is an important atmospheric correction. The aerosol concentration is highly variable, so that the aerosol attenuation needs to be evaluated hourly. We use light from the Central Laser Facility, located near the center of the observatory site, having an optical signature comparable to that of the highest energy showers detected by the FD. This paper presents two procedures developed to retrieve the aerosol attenuation of fluorescence light from CLF laser shots. Cross checks between the two methods demonstrate that results from both analyses are compatible, and that the uncertainties are well understood. The measurements of the aerosol attenuation provided by the two procedures are currently used at the Pierre Auger Observatory to reconstruct air shower data

Velocity-space sensitivity of the time-of-flight neutron spectrometer at JET

The velocity-space sensitivities of fast-ion diagnostics are often described by so-called weight functions. Recently, we formulated weight functions showing the velocity-space sensitivity of the often dominant beam-target part of neutron energy spectra. These weight functions for neutron emission spectrometry (NES) are independent of the particular NES diagnostic. Here we apply these NES weight functions to the time-of-flight spectrometer TOFOR at JET. By taking the instrumental response function of TOFOR into account, we calculate time-of-flight NES weight functions that enable us to directly determine the velocity-space sensitivity of a given part of a measured time-of-flight spectrum from TOFOR

The rapid atmospheric monitoring system of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The Pierre Auger Observatory is a facility built to detect air showers produced by cosmic rays above 10(17) eV. During clear nights with a low illuminated moon fraction, the UV fluorescence light produced by air showers is recorded by optical telescopes at the Observatory. To correct the observations for variations in atmospheric conditions, atmospheric monitoring is performed at regular intervals ranging from several minutes (for cloud identification) to several hours (for aerosol conditions) to several days (for vertical profiles of temperature, pressure, and humidity). In 2009, the monitoring program was upgraded to allow for additional targeted measurements of atmospheric conditions shortly after the detection of air showers of special interest, e. g., showers produced by very high-energy cosmic rays or showers with atypical longitudinal profiles. The former events are of particular importance for the determination of the energy scale of the Observatory, and the latter are characteristic of unusual air shower physics or exotic primary particle types. The purpose of targeted (or 'rapid') monitoring is to improve the resolution of the atmospheric measurements for such events. In this paper, we report on the implementation of the rapid monitoring program and its current status. The rapid monitoring data have been analyzed and applied to the reconstruction of air showers of high interest, and indicate that the air fluorescence measurements affected by clouds and aerosols are effectively corrected using measurements from the regular atmospheric monitoring program. We find that the rapid monitoring program has potential for supporting dedicated physics analyses beyond the standard event reconstruction

Anticipation of 'ubá' mango ripening with preharvest ethephon application

Preharvest application of ethephon, a compound that releases ethylene when hydrolyzed, can anticipate and standardize mango harvesting. In this study, the effects of different doses of ethephon, applied at preharvest, on harvest anticipation of 'Ubá' mango were evaluated. On the 17th week after anthesis, 25 mango trees, five per treatment, were sprayed with ethephon at 0, 250, 500, 750 and 1000mg L-1, plus 0.5% of mineral oil. Five fruits from each plant were harvested daily until full ripening, and evaluated. Except, for dose 0mg L-1, in which six days after ethephon application (DAAE), harvest was carried out weekly up to 41DAAE The treated fruit presented a more intense flesh color than the non-treated, particularly at the doses of 500 and 750mg L-1. Fruit treated with 500, 750 and 1000mg L-1showed abrupt firmness reduction from the 1st DAAE and TSS higher than 18°Brix on the 6th DAAE. Non-treated fruit presented slower firmness reduction and reached 18°Brix on the 35th DAAE. The dose of 1000mg L-1 of ethephon resulted in premature fall and low fruit quality. Application of 500 or 750mg L-1 of ethephon allowed to anticipate and to standardize mango harvesting. These doses also allowed harvesting fruit with the best commercial quality and without the need of climatization after harvest.A aplicação pré-colheita de ethephon, composto que libera etileno quando hidrolisado, pode antecipar e uniformizar a colheita de manga. Neste trabalho foram avaliados os efeitos de diferentes doses de ethephon, aplicadas na pré-colheita, sobre a antecipação da colheita de manga 'Ubá'. Na 17ª semana após a antese, 25 mangueiras, sendo cinco por tratamento, foram pulverizadas com ethephon nas doses 0, 250, 500, 750 e 1000L-1, acrescido de 0,5% de óleo mineral. Foram colhidos 10 frutos de cada planta, diariamente, até o completo amadurecimento, com exceção da dose 0L-1, em que, a partir de 6 dias após aplicação do ethephon (DAAE), a colheita foi semanal até 42DAAE. Dos 10 frutos colhidos, cinco foram analisados no dia da colheita e cinco armazenados a 20±080°C e 90±5% UR e avaliados após o completo amadurecimento. Frutos tratados apresentaram coloração de polpa mais intensa que os não tratados, especialmente na dose 500L-1. Frutos tratados com 500, 750 e 1000L-1 apresentaram brusca queda da firmeza a partir do 1ºDAAE, e SST superiores a 18°brix no 6ºDAAE, enquanto nos não tratados, a queda da firmeza foi mais lenta e atingiram 18°brix aos 35ºDAAE. A dose de 1000L-1 de ethephon resultou em queda prematura e má qualidade final dos frutos. Frutos colhidos no 3oDAAE e armazenados atingiram o completo amadurecimento com 12, 7, 6, 4 e 6 dias para as doses 0, 250, 500, 750 e 1000L-1, respectivamente. A aplicação de 500 ou 750L-1 de ethephon, seguida da colheita no 3oDAAE, permitiu a obtenção de frutos com qualidade comercial, além de dispensar a climatização após a colheita

The HIV-1 reservoir landscape in persistent elite controllers and transient elite controllers.

BACKGROUNDPersistent controllers (PCs) maintain antiretroviral-free HIV-1 control indefinitely over time, while transient controllers (TCs) eventually lose virological control. It is essential to characterize the quality of the HIV reservoir in terms of these phenotypes in order to identify the factors that lead to HIV progression and to open new avenues toward an HIV cure.METHODSThe characterization of HIV-1 reservoir from peripheral blood mononuclear cells was performed using next-generation sequencing techniques, such as full-length individual and matched integration site proviral sequencing (FLIP-Seq; MIP-Seq).RESULTSPCs and TCs, before losing virological control, presented significantly lower total, intact, and defective proviruses compared with those of participants on antiretroviral therapy (ART). No differences were found in total and defective proviruses between PCs and TCs. However, intact provirus levels were lower in PCs compared with TCs; indeed the intact/defective HIV-DNA ratio was significantly higher in TCs. Clonally expanded intact proviruses were found only in PCs and located in centromeric satellite DNA or zinc-finger genes, both associated with heterochromatin features. In contrast, sampled intact proviruses were located in permissive genic euchromatic positions in TCs.CONCLUSIONSThese results suggest the need for, and can give guidance to, the design of future research to identify a distinct proviral landscape that may be associated with the persistent control of HIV-1 without ART.FUNDINGInstituto de Salud Carlos III (FI17/00186, FI19/00083, MV20/00057, PI18/01532, PI19/01127 and PI22/01796), Gilead Fellowships (GLD22/00147). NIH grants AI155171, AI116228, AI078799, HL134539, DA047034, MH134823, amfAR ARCHE and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation