We study generalizations of 3-and 4-dimensional BF -theory in the context of higher gauge theory. First, we construct topological higher gauge theories as discrete state sum models and explain how they are related to the state sums of Yetter, Mackaay, and Porter. Under certain conditions, we can present their corresponding continuum counterparts in terms of classical Lagrangians. We then explain that two of these models are already familiar from the literature: the ΣΦEA-model of 3-dimensional gravity coupled to topological matter, and also a 4-dimensional model of BF -theory coupled to topological matter.

We consider a topological field theory derived from the Chern -Simons action in (2+1) dimensions with the I(ISO(2, 1)) group, and we investigate in detail the canonical structure of this theory.Originally developed as a topological theory of Einstein gravity minimally coupled to topological matter fields in (2+1) dimensions, it admits a BTZ black-hole solutions, and can be generalized to arbitrary dimensions. In this paper, we further study the canonical structure of the theory in (2+1) dimensions, by identifying all the distinct gauge equivalence classes of solutions as they result from holonomy considerations. The equivalence classes are discussed in detail, and examples of solutions representative of each class are constructed or identified. * Electronic address: lfreidel@perimeterinstitute.ca † Electronic address: mann@avatar.uwaterloo.ca ‡ Electronic address: empopesc@uwaterloo.ca

EUSO-Balloon is a pathfinder mission for the Extreme Universe Space Observatory onboard the Japanese Experiment Module (JEM-EUSO). It was launched on the moonless night of the 25 th of August 2014 from Timmins, Canada. The flight ended successfully after maintaining the target altitude of 38 km for five hours. One part of the mission was a 2.5 hour underflight using a helicopter equipped with three UV light sources (LED, xenon flasher and laser) to perform an inflight calibration and examine the detectors capability to measure tracks moving at the speed of light. We describe the helicopter laser system and details of the underflight as well as how the laser tracks were recorded and found in the data. These are the first recorded laser tracks measured from a fluorescence detector looking down on the atmosphere. Finally, we present a first reconstruction of the direction of the laser tracks relative to the detector.

EUSO-TA is a on-ground telescope, installed at the Telescope Array (TA) site in Black Rock Mesa, Utah, USA in 2013. The main aim of the project is observation of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) through detection of ultraviolet light generated by cosmic-ray showers. EUSO-TA consists of two, 1 m 2 square Fresnel lenses with a field of view of about 10.6 • × 10.6 •. Light is focused on the Photo Detector Module (PDM), identical to the ones that are employed in the other EUSO missions' focal surfaces. The PDM is composed of 36 Hamamatsu multi-anode photomultipliers (64 channels per tube), for a total of 2304 channels. Front-End readout is performed by 36 ASICS, with trigger and readout tasks done by two acquisition boards that send the data to a CPU and storage system. The telescope is housed in a shed located in front of one of the fluorescence detectors of the TA experiment, pointing in the direction of the Electron Light Source and Central Laser Facility. After the installation in February 2013, the performance of the detector has been very good, with little (about one photoelectron) electronic noise and a Point Spread Function of stars compatible with expectations. Several ultra high energy cosmic rays and meteors have been observed. The limiting magnitude of 5.5 on summed frames has been established, with PSF of ∼ 2.5 pixels FWHM. Measurements of the UV background in different darkness conditions and moon phases and positions have been completed. EUSO-TA has been used for development of balloon and space flights within the EUSO framework.

JEM-EUSO is a space mission designed to investigate Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos (E > 5 · 10 19 eV) from the International Space Station (ISS). Looking down from above its wide angle telescope is able to observe their air showers and collect such data from a very wide area. Highly specific trigger algorithms are needed to drastically reduce the data load in the presence of both atmospheric and human activity related background light, yet retain the rare cosmic ray events recorded in the telescope. We report the performance in offline testing of the first level trigger algorithm on data from JEM-EUSO prototypes and laboratory measurements observing different light sources: data taken during a high altitude balloon flight over Canada, laser pulses observed from the ground traversing the real atmosphere, and model landscapes reproducing realistic aspect ratios and light 5 conditions as would be seen from the ISS itself. The first level trigger logic successfully kept the trigger rate within the permissible bounds when challenged with artificially produced as well as naturally encountered night sky background fluctuations and while retaining events with general air-shower characteristics.

ARTICLE INFO ABSTRACT Keywords:Meteors Nuclearites JEM-EUSO Mini-EUSO EUSO-TAWe summarize the state of the art of a program of UV observations from space of meteor phenomena, a secondary objective of the JEM-EUSO international collaboration. Our preliminary analysis indicates that JEM-EUSO, taking advantage of its large FOV and good sensitivity, should be able to detect meteors down to absolute magnitude close to 7. This means that JEM-EUSO should be able to record a statistically significant flux of meteors, including both sporadic ones, and events produced by different meteor streams. Being unaffected by adverse weather conditions, JEM-EUSO can also be a very important facility for the detection of bright meteors and fireballs, as these events can be detected even in conditions of very high sky background. In the case of bright events, moreover, exhibiting some persistence of the meteor train, preliminary simulations show that it should be possible to exploit the motion of the ISS itself and derive at least a rough 3D reconstruction of the meteor trajectory. Moreover, the observing strategy developed to detect meteors may also be applied to the detection of nuclearites, exotic particles whose existence has been suggested by some theoretical investigations. Nuclearites are expected to move at higher velocities than meteoroids, and to exhibit a wider range of possible trajectories, including particles moving upward after crossing the Earth. Some pilot studies, including the approved Mini-EUSO mission, a precursor of JEM-EUSO, are currently operational or in preparation. We are doing simulations to assess the performance of Mini-EUSO for meteor studies, while a few meteor events have been already detected using the ground-based facility EUSO-TA.

The JEM-EUSO (Joint Experiment Missions for the Extreme Universe Space Observatory) program aims at developing Ultra-Violet (UV) fluorescence telescopes for efficient detections of Extensive Air Showers (EASs) induced by Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) from satellite orbit. In order to demonstrate key technologies for JEM-EUSO, we constructed the EUSO-Balloon instrument that consists of a 1 m 2 refractive telescope with two Fresnel lenses and an array of multi-anode photo-multiplier tubes at the focus. Distinguishing it from the former balloon-borne experiments, EUSO-Balloon has the capabilities of single photon counting with a gate time of 2.3 µs and of has imaging with a total of 2304 pixels. As a pathfinder mission, the instrument was launched for an 8 hour stratospheric flight on a moonless night in August 2014 over Timmins, Canada. In this work, we analyze the count rates over 2.5 hour intervals. The measurements are of diffuse light, e.g. of airglow emission, back-scattered from the Earth's atmosphere as well as artificial light 166 4 ACCEPTED MANUSCRIPT sources.Count rates from such diffuse light are a background for EAS detections in future missions and relevant factor for the analysis of EAS events. We also obtain the geographical distribution of the count rates over a km 2 area along the balloon trajectory. In developed areas, light sources such a the airport, mines, and factories are clearly identified. This demonstrates the correct location of signals that will be required for the EAS analysis in future missions. Although a precise determination of count rates is relevant for the existing instruments, the absolute intensity of diffuse light is deduced for the limited conditions by assuming spectra models and considering simulations of the instrument response. Based on the study of diffuse light by EUSO-Balloon, we also discuss the implications for coming pathfinders and future space-based UHECR observation missions.

We consider the coupling of scalar topological matter to (2+1)-dimensional gravity. The matter fields consist of a 0-form scalar field and a 2-form tensor field. We carry out a canonical analysis of the classical theory, investigating its sectors and solutions. We show that the model admits both BTZ-like black-hole solutions and homogeneous/inhomogeneous FRW cosmological solutions.We also investigate the global charges associated with the model and show that the algebra of charges is the extension of the Kač-Moody algebra for the field-rigid gauge charges, and the Virasoro algebra for the diffeomorphism charges. Finally, we show that the model can be written as a generalized Chern-Simons theory, opening the perspective for its formulation as a generalized higher gauge theory. * Electronic address: rbmann@sciborg.uwaterloo.ca † Electronic address: empopesc@uwaterloo.ca