Study of angular correlations in arrival directions of ultra-high energy cosmic rays detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory

• Grant number: 10/03968-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Master
• Start date: August 01, 2010
• End date: July 31, 2012
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Elementary Particle Physics and Fields
• Principal Investigator: Carola Dobrigkeit Chinellato
• Grantee: Camile Mendes Castilho
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin (IFGW). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Pierre Auger Observatory is the result of an international effort of 17 countries, designed and built to study ultra high energy cosmic rays. Its main goal is to study cosmic rays of the highest energy observed so far, in the region of 10**18 eV and above. The Observatory was conceived to measure the flux and the arrival direction distribution of these cosmic rays in order to get clues about their origin, acceleration mechanisms, propagation from their sources to Earth, chemical composition and energy spectrum. Recently the Auger Collaboration reported a correlation of the arrival directions of extremely energetic cosmic rays with the positions of nearby AGN in the catalogue of quasars and radio galaxies by Véron-Cetty and Véron. This is an indication of anisotropy of cosmic rays in the highest energy band. The present work intends to look for correlations in the arrival directions of extremely energetic cosmic rays in form of multiplets, in order to get clues about possible sources of cosmic rays and the intervening magnetic fields during their propagation from the sources to the Earth.

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

CASTILHO, Camile Mendes. Study of angular correlations of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays detected by Pierre Auger Observatory. 2013. Master's Dissertation - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Instituto de Física Gleb Wataghin Campinas, SP.