Probing the galactic to extragalactic transition with data from the Pierre Auger Observatory and a studying the opacity of the universe to gamma-rays with the Cherenkov Telescope Array.

• Grant number: 16/19171-8
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships abroad - Research
• Effective date (Start): February 06, 2017
• Effective date (End): February 05, 2018
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Elementary Particle Physics and Fields
• Principal Investigator: Edivaldo Moura Santos
• Grantee: Edivaldo Moura Santos
• Host Investigator: Paolo Privitera
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física (IF). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Paulo , SP, Brazil
• Research place: University of Chicago, United States
• Associated research grant: 15/15897-1 - Cherenkov Telescope Array - CTA, AP.TEM

Abstract

This is a one-year research plan focused on the science of two major Astroparticle Physics observatories: the Pierre Auger, the largest cosmic ray observatory which has been taking data since 2004 and is currently planning a general upgrade of its detection systems; the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), the next generation of ground based air imaging Cherenkov telescopes for gamma-ray astronomy to beinstalled in Chile in the next years. The proposal includes the study of anisotropies in the flux of ultra-high energy cosmic rays detected by Auger and the constraints they can impose on models for the galactic to extragalactic transition, and also the potential for an observatory like the CTA to constrain the amount of extragalactic background light responsible for the observed attenuation at the TeV energy range of the flux of distant active galactic nuclei (AGN).