Light Pulses from the Night Sky associated with Cosmic Rays

Galbraith, W.; Jelley, J. V.

doi:10.1038/171349a0

Cited by 172 publications

(94 citation statements)

References 0 publications

Supporting

Mentioning

Contrasting

Unclassified

Order By: Relevance

“…Estimates of this upper energy limit vary, with typical values in the region of 10 14 eV. However, the observed flux of cosmic rays extends more or less continuously for another five orders of magnitude beyond this; no plausible extrapolation of the standard parameters of SNR can generate cosmic rays of such energies.…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A high resolution method for measuring cosmic ray composition beyond 10 TeV

Kieda

Swordy

Wakely

2001

Astroparticle Physics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

The accurate determination of the elemental composition of cosmic rays at high energies is expected to provide crucial clues on the origin of these particles. Previous direct measurements of composition have been limited by experiment collecting power, resulting in marginal statistics above 10 14 eV, precisely the region where the "knee" of the cosmic-ray energy spectrum is starting to develop. In contrast, indirect measurements using extensive air showers can produce sufficient statistics in this region but generate elemental measurements which have relatively large uncertainties. Here we discuss a technique which has become possible through the use of modern ground-basedČerenkov imaging detectors. We combine a measurement of theČerenkov light produced by the incoming cosmic-ray nucleus in the upper atmosphere with an estimate of the total nucleus energy produced by the extensive air shower initiated when the particle interacts deeper in the atmosphere. The emission regions prior to and after the first hadronic interaction can be separated by an imagingČerenkov system with sufficient angular and temporal resolution. Monte Carlo simulations indicate an expected charge resolution of ∆Z/Z < 5% for incident iron nuclei in the region of the "knee" of the cosmic-ray energy spectrum. This technique also has the intriguing possibility to unambiguously discover nuclei heavier than iron at energies above 10 14 eV. The identification and rejection of background produced by charged particles in ground based gamma-ray telescopes is also discussed.

show abstract

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

A high resolution method for measuring cosmic ray composition beyond 10 TeV

Kieda

Swordy

Wakely

2001

Astroparticle Physics

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

show abstract

“…This effect is typical for Cherenkov radiation generated when a very high-energy gamma ray strikes the atmosphere (Galbraith & Jelley 1953;Hinton & Hofmann 2009). …”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

First optical validation of a Schwarzschild Couder telescope: the ASTRI SST-2M Cherenkov telescope

Giro

Canestrari

Sironi

et al. 2017

A&A

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

Context. The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) represents the most advanced facility designed for Cherenkov Astronomy. ASTRI SST-2M has been developed as a demonstrator for the Small Size Telescope in the context of the upcoming CTA. Its main innovation consists in the optical layout which implements the Schwarzschild-Couder configuration and is fully validated for the first time. The ASTRI SST-2M optical system represents the first qualified example of a two-mirror telescope for Cherenkov Astronomy. This configuration permits us to (i) maintain high optical quality across a large field of view; (ii) demagnify the plate scale; and (iii) exploit new technological solutions for focal plane sensors. Aims. The goal of the paper is to present the optical qualification of the ASTRI SST-2M telescope. The qualification has been obtained measuring the point spread function (PSF) sizes generated in the focal plane at various distances from the optical axis. These values have been compared with the performances expected by design. Methods. After an introduction on Gamma-ray Astronomy from the ground, the optical design of ASTRI SST-2M and how it has been implemented is discussed. Moreover, the description of the set-up used to qualify the telescope over the full field of view is shown. Results. We report the results of the first-light optical qualification. The required specification of a flat PSF of ∼10 arcmin in a large field of view (∼10 • ) has been demonstrated. These results validate the design specifications, opening a new scenario for Cherenkov Gamma-ray Astronomy and, in particular, for the detection of high-energy (5-300 TeV) gamma rays and wide-field observations with CTA.

show abstract

“…Although it has been 80 years since its first observation [1], surprisingly little attention was given to the importance of the quantum nature of the charged particles producing the radiation. Since its discovery, the Čerenkov effect has become a fundamental part of many fields [2]: Devices like the ring-imaging Čerenkov detector are used for cosmic radiation measurements [3,4], while other implications also suggest novel acceleration methods [5], and even an unusual imaging tool in biology [6,7]. Because of the fundamental nature of ČR, it is found in many different physical systems, such as in nonlinear optics [8][9][10][11], it is used in the design of quantum cascade lasers [12], and it is predicted to yield the generation of entangled photon pairs [13,14].…”

Section: Introductionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Quantum Čerenkov Radiation: Spectral Cutoffs and the Role of Spin and Orbital Angular Momentum

et al. 2016

View full text Add to dashboard Cite

We show that the well-known Čerenkov effect contains new phenomena arising from the quantum nature of charged particles. The Čerenkov transition amplitudes allow coupling between the charged particle and the emitted photon through their orbital angular momentum and spin, by scattering into preferred angles and polarizations. Importantly, the spectral response reveals a discontinuity immediately below a frequency cutoff that can occur in the optical region. Near this cutoff, the intensity of the conventional Čerenkov radiation (ČR) is very small but still finite, while our quantum calculation predicts exactly zero intensity above the cutoff. Below that cutoff, with proper shaping of electron beams (ebeams), we predict that the traditional ČR angle splits into two distinctive cones of photonic shockwaves. One of the shockwaves can move along a backward cone, otherwise considered impossible for conventional ČR in ordinary matter. Our findings are observable for ebeams with realistic parameters, offering new applications including novel quantum optics sources, and opening a new realm for Čerenkov detectors involving the spin and orbital angular momentum of charged particles.

show abstract

Light Pulses from the Night Sky associated with Cosmic Rays

Cited by 172 publications

References 0 publications

A high resolution method for measuring cosmic ray composition beyond 10 TeV

A high resolution method for measuring cosmic ray composition beyond 10 TeV

First optical validation of a Schwarzschild Couder telescope: the ASTRI SST-2M Cherenkov telescope

Quantum Čerenkov Radiation: Spectral Cutoffs and the Role of Spin and Orbital Angular Momentum

Contact Info

Product

Resources

About