Cosmic-Ray Anisotropies in Right Ascension Measured by the Pierre Auger Observatory

We present measurements of the large-scale cosmic-ray (CR) anisotropies in R.A., using data collected by the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory over more than 14 yr. We determine the equatorial dipole component, ${{\boldsymbol{d}}}_{\perp }$, through a Fourier analysis in R.A. that includes weights for each event so as to account for the main detector-induced systematic effects. For the energies at which the trigger efficiency of the array is small, the "east–west" method is employed. Besides using the data from the array with detectors separated by 1500 m, we also include data from the smaller but denser subarray of detectors with 750 m separation, which allows us to extend the analysis down to ∼0.03 EeV. The most significant equatorial dipole amplitude obtained is that in the cumulative bin above 8 EeV, ${d}_{\perp }={6.0}_{-0.9}^{+1.0}$%, which is inconsistent with isotropy at the 6σ level. In the bins below 8 EeV, we obtain 99% CL upper bounds on d⊥ at the level of 1%–3%. At energies below 1 EeV, even though the amplitudes are not significant, the phases determined in most of the bins are not far from the R.A. of the Galactic center, at αGC = −94°, suggesting a predominantly Galactic origin for anisotropies at these energies. The reconstructed dipole phases in the energy bins above 4 EeV point instead to R.A. that are almost opposite to the Galactic center one, indicative of an extragalactic CR origin

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

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 i2 = m i2+p i2+δi,n E 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 δi,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 1019 eV, we obtain δγ,0 \u3e -10-21, δγ,1 \u3e -10-40 eV-1 and δγ,2 \u3e -10-58 eV-2 in the case of a subdominant proton component up to 1020 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 δhad,0 \u3c 10-19, δhad,1 \u3c 10-38 eV-1 and δhad,2 \u3c 10-57 eV-2 at 5σ CL

Constraints on metastable superheavy dark matter coupled to sterile neutrinos with the Pierre Auger Observatory

Dark matter particles could be superheavy, provided their lifetime is much longer than the age of the Universe. Using the sensitivity of the Pierre Auger Observatory to ultrahigh energy neutrinos and photons, we constrain a specific extension of the Standard Model of particle physics that meets the lifetime requirement for a superheavy particle by coupling it to a sector of ultralight sterile neutrinos. Our results show that, for a typical dark coupling constant of 0.1, the mixing angle θm between active and sterile neutrinos must satisfy, roughly, θm≲1.5×10-6(MX/109 GeV)-2 for a mass MX of the dark-matter particle between 108 GeV and 1011 GeV

Measurement of the Fluctuations in the Number of Muons in Extensive Air Showers with the Pierre Auger Observatory

We present the first measurement of the fluctuations in the number of muons in extensive air showers produced by ultrahigh energy cosmic rays. We find that the measured fluctuations are in good agreement with predictions from air shower simulations. This observation provides new insights into the origin of the previously reported deficit of muons in air shower simulations and constrains models of hadronic interactions at ultrahigh energies. Our measurement is compatible with the muon deficit originating from small deviations in the predictions from hadronic interaction models of particle production that accumulate as the showers develop

Design, upgrade and characterization of the silicon photomultiplier front-end for the AMIGA detector at the Pierre Auger Observatory

AMIGA (Auger Muons and Infill for the Ground Array) is an upgrade of the Pierre Auger Observatory to complement the study of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECR) by measuring the muon content of extensive air showers (EAS). It consists of an array of 61 water Cherenkov detectors on a denser spacing in combination with underground scintillation detectors used for muon density measurement. Each detector is composed of three scintillation modules, with 10 m2 detection area per module, buried at 2.3 m depth, resulting in a total detection area of 30 m2. Silicon photomultiplier sensors (SiPM) measure the amount of scintillation light generated by charged particles traversing the modules. In this paper, the design of the front-end electronics to process the signals of those SiPMs and test results from the laboratory and from the Pierre Auger Observatory are described. Compared to our previous prototype, the new electronics shows a higher performance, higher efficiency and lower power consumption, and it has a new acquisition system with increased dynamic range that allows measurements closer to the shower core. The new acquisition system is based on the measurement of the total charge signal that the muonic component of the cosmic ray shower generates in the detector

Constraining models for the origin of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays with a novel combined analysis of arrival directions, spectrum, and composition data measured at the Pierre Auger Observatory

The combined fit of the measured energy spectrum and shower maximum depth distributions of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays is known to constrain the parameters of astrophysical models with homogeneous source distributions. Studies of the distribution of the cosmic-ray arrival directions show a better agreement with models in which a fraction of the flux is non-isotropic and associated with the nearby radio galaxy Centaurus A or with catalogs such as that of starburst galaxies. Here, we present a novel combination of both analyses by a simultaneous fit of arrival directions, energy spectrum, and composition data measured at the Pierre Auger Observatory. The model takes into account a rigidity-dependent magnetic field blurring and an energy-dependent evolution of the catalog contribution shaped by interactions during propagation. We find that a model containing a flux contribution from the starburst galaxy catalog of around 20% at 40 EeV with a magnetic field blurring of around 20◦ for a rigidity of 10 EV provides a fair simultaneous description of all three observables. The starburst galaxy model is favored with a significance of 4.5σ (considering experimental systematic effects) compared to a reference model with only homogeneously distributed background sources. By investigating a scenario with Centaurus A as a single source in combination with the homogeneous background, we confirm that this region of the sky provides the dominant contribution to the observed anisotropy signal. Models containing a catalog of jetted active galactic nuclei whose flux scales with the γ-ray emission are, however, disfavored as they cannot adequately describe the measured arrival directions

Cross-Talk between Protein Kinase A and Mitogen-Activated Protein Kinases Signalling in the Adaptive Changes Observed during Morphine Withdrawal in the Heart

ABSTRACT Our previous studies have shown that morphine withdrawal induced an increase in the expression of protein kinase (PK) A and mitogen-activated extracellular kinase (MAPK) pathways in the heart during morphine withdrawal. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the interaction between PKA and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK) signaling pathways mediating the cardiac adaptive changes observed after naloxone administration to morphine-dependent rats. Dependence on morphine was induced by a 7-day subcutaneous implantation of morphine pellets. Morphine withdrawal was precipitated on day 8 by an injection of naloxone (2 mg/kg). ERK1/2 and tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) phosphorylation was determined by quantitative blot immunolabeling using phosphorylation statespecific antibodies. Naloxone-induced morphine withdrawal activates ERK1/2 and phosphorylates TH at Ser31 in the right and left ventricle, with an increase in the mean arterial blood pressure and heart rate. When N-(2-guanidinoethyl)-5-isoquinolinesulfonamide (HA-1004), a PKA inhibitor, was infused, concomitantly with morphine, it diminished the expression of ERK1/2. In contrast, the infusion of calphostin C (a PKC inhibitor) did not modify the morphine withdrawal-induced activation of ERK1/2. The ability of morphine withdrawal to activate ERK that phosphorylates TH at Ser31 was reduced by HA-1004. The present findings demonstrate that the enhancement of ERK1/2 expression and the phosphorylation state of TH at Ser31 during morphine withdrawal are dependent on PKA and suggest cross-talk between PKA and ERK1/2 transduction pathway mediating morphine withdrawal-induced activation (phosphorylation) of TH

Design and implementation of the AMIGA embedded system for data acquisition

The Auger Muon Infill Ground Array (AMIGA) is part of the AugerPrime upgrade of the Pierre Auger Observatory. It consists of particle counters buried 2.3 m underground next to the water-Cherenkov stations that form the 23.5 km2 large infilled array. The reduced distance between detectors in this denser area allows the lowering of the energy threshold for primary cosmic ray reconstruction down to about 1017 eV. At the depth of 2.3 m the electromagnetic component of cosmic ray showers is almost entirely absorbed so that the buried scintillators provide an independent and direct measurement of the air showers muon content. This work describes the design and implementation of the AMIGA embedded system, which provides centralized control, data acquisition and environment monitoring to its detectors. The presented system was firstly tested in the engineering array phase ended in 2017, and lately selected as the final design to be installed in all new detectors of the production phase. The system was proven to be robust and reliable and has worked in a stable manner since its first deployment