Astrophysics Motivation behind the Pierre Auger Southern Observatory Enhance- ments

• Main Authors: G Medina Tanco, FOR THE PIERRE Auger Collaboration
• Other Authors: The Pennsylvania State University CiteSeerX Archives
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Subjects: Argentina; Yakutsk
• Online Access: http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/summary?doi=10.1.1.1051.9863

Abstract: The Pierre Auger Collaboration intends to extend the energy range of its southern observatory in Argentina for high quality data from 0.1 to 3 EeV. The extensions, described in accompanying papers, include three additional fluorescence telescopes with a more elevated field of view (HEAT) and a nested surface array with 750 and 433 m spacing respectively and additional muon detection capabilities (AMIGA). The enhancement of the detector will allow measurement of cosmic rays, using the same techniques, from below the second knee up to the highest energies observed. The evolution of the spectrum through the second knee and ankle, and corresponding predicted changes in composition, are crucial to the understanding of the end of Galactic confinement and the effects of propagation on the lower energy portion of the extragalactic flux. The latter is strongly related to the cosmological distribution of sources and to the composition of the injected spectrum. We discuss the science motivation behind these enhancements as well as the impact of combined HEAT and AMIGA information on the assessment of shower simulations and reconstruction techniques. Target energy interval The Southern site of the Pierre Auger Observatory, which will be completed in its original design during the next few months, has an energy threshold of ∼ 3 × 10 18 eV and 10 18 eV for surface (full efficiency) and fluorescence events respectively. Two enhancements, AMIGA and HEAT The baseline design of Auger is optimized for energies corresponding to the middle of the ankle and upwards to the highest energies. The enhancements, on the other hand, have as a prime objective to lower the energy threshold of the detector down to 10 17.0 eV (see, The second knee has been observed in the vicinity of 4 × 10 17 eV by Akeno [5], Fly's Eye stereo [6], Yakutsk