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

Advanced functionality for radio analysis in the Offline software framework of the Pierre Auger Observatory

The advent of the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA) necessitates the development of a powerful framework for the analysis of radio measurements of cosmic ray air showers. As AERA performs "radio-hybrid" measurements of air shower radio emission in coincidence with the surface particle detectors and fluorescence telescopes of the Pierre Auger Observatory, the radio analysis functionality had to be incorporated in the existing hybrid analysis solutions for fluoresence and surface detector data. This goal has been achieved in a natural way by extending the existing Auger Offline software framework with radio functionality. In this article, we lay out the design, highlights and features of the radio extension implemented in the Auger Offline framework. Its functionality has achieved a high degree of sophistication and offers advanced features such as vectorial reconstruction of the electric field, advanced signal processing algorithms, a transparent and efficient handling of FFTs, a very detailed simulation of detector effects, and the read-in of multiple data formats including data from various radio simulation codes. The source code of this radio functionality can be made available to interested parties on request.Comment: accepted for publication in NIM A, 13 pages, minor corrections to author list and references in v

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

Structure, chirality, and field testing of a male-produced aggregation pheromone of Asian palm weevilRhynchophorus bilineatus (Montr.) (Coleoptera: Curculionidae)

4-Methyl-5-nonanol is a male-produced aggregation pheromone of the Asian palm weevil,Rhynchophorus bilineatus (Montr.). The pheromone was identified by coupled gas chromatographic-electroantennographic detection (GC-EAD) and coupled GC-mass spectrometric (MS) analyses of male-and female-produced volatiles. Analyses by GC-EAD and GC-MS of weevil-produced and stereoselectively synthesized isomers of 4-methyl-5-nonanol on a Cyclodex B column, which separated isomers with baseline resolution, revealed that only (4S,5S)-4-methyl-5-nonanol is EAD active and produced by the males. In field experiments in Papua New Guinea, (4S,5S)-4-methyl-5-nonanol and a racemic mixture of disatereoisomers of it enhanced attraction of male and female weevils to sugarcane-baited traps. (4S,5S)-4-Methyl-5-nonanol is also an aggregation pheromone of two other Asian palm weevils.R. ferrugineus (Oliv.) andR. vulneratus (Panz.). The stereoisomeric mixture of 4-methyl-5-nonanol is currently used to manage populations ofR. bilineatus in Papua New GuineaUCR::Vicerrectoría de Investigación::Unidades de Investigación::Ciencias Básicas::Centro de Investigaciones en Productos Naturales (CIPRONA

Captura de Rhynchophorus palmarum L. (Coleoptera: curculionidae) em armadilhas iscadas com o feromônio de agregação e compostos voláteis de frutos do abacaxi Trap catches of Rhynchophorus palmarum L. (Coleoptera: curculionidae) baited with its aggregation pheromone and volatile compounds from pineapple

O objetivo deste trabalho foi determinar os índices de captura de Rhynchophorus palmarum em armadilhas iscadas com o feromônio de agregação, 6-metil-2(E)-hepten-4-ol (rincoforol), associado a toletes de cana-de-açúcar, a pedaços de frutos do abacaxi e a seis compostos voláteis isolados de frutos do abacaxi. Os compostos voláteis do abacaxi são caracterizados por uma mistura de ésteres metílicos e etílicos, sendo o octanoato de metila e o octanoato de etila os mais abundantes. As armadilhas iscadas com o rincoforol associado a toletes de cana-de-açúcar e as iscas com rincoforol associado a pedaços de abacaxi não apresentaram diferenças significativas no número de besouros capturados. No entanto, ambas apresentaram índices de captura superiores àquelas em que o rincoforol foi utilizado em associação com voláteis do abacaxi. Não se observaram efeitos significativos do local e época de captura, nem no número de machos e de fêmeas capturados.<br>The aim of this work was to investigate the capture of Rhynchophorus palmarum in traps baited with its aggregation pheromone, 6-methyl-2(E)-hepten-4-ol (rhynchophorol), in association with sugar cane, pieces of pineapple fruit, and six volatile compounds from pineapple. A mixture of methyl and ethyl esters, being methyl octanoate and ethyl octanoate the most abundant, characterizes the volatile compounds from pineapple fruits. Traps baited with rhynchophorol in association with sugar cane and those baited with rhynchophorol in association with pieces of pineapple, showed no significant differences in the number of trapped weevils. However, both traps caught significantly more weevils, than those baited with rhynchophorol in association with pineapple volatiles. There were no significant effects from place and time or in the number of male and female weevils trapped

Final technical report / Tara Processing (Peru)

Includes final technical report, 5 interim technical reports and business pla