Exploring High-Energy Electromagnetic Cascades: A Comparative Study of the ELMAG, DINT/ELECA, and CRPropa Codes

• Grant number: 25/23651-4
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Program to Stimulate Scientific Vocations
• Start date: May 01, 2026
• End date: June 20, 2026
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Elementary Particle Physics and Fields
• Principal Investigator: Rita de Cássia dos Anjos
• Grantee: Gabriela Araujo Olimpio
• Host Institution: CAMPUS PALOTINA/UFPR

Abstract

The propagation of ultra-high-energy particles and photons through the intergalactic medium gives rise to electromagnetic cascades whose modeling is essential for interpreting observations from telescopes such as CTA, LHAASO, and Fermi-LAT. This project aims to perform a systematic comparison among three tools widely used in high-energy astrophysics: ELMAG, a Monte Carlo code that simulates cascades in the extragalactic radiation field; DINT/ELECA, based on deterministic solutions of transport equations; and CRPropa, a modular framework for cosmic-ray propagation that includes electromagnetic interaction modules. During five weeks at UFPR/Setor Palotina, the student Gabriela Araújo Olímpio will carry out the installation, execution, and comparative analysis of these codes under identical physical conditions (initial spectrum, magnetic field, and EBL density). The results will make it possible to identify differences in the predicted spectra of secondary photons and electrons, as well as the validity regimes of each method. The work will contribute to improving numerical modeling in particle astrophysics and will provide the student with an integrated experience in computational physics and scientific research, in line with the educational goals of the Aristides Pacheco Leão Program for the Promotion of Scientific Vocations (2025-2026). (AU)