Recent Results from the Pierre Auger Observatory

by Prof. Jim Matthews (Louisiana State University, Southern University, Pierre Auger Observatory co-Spokesperson)

Thursday Mar 31, 2011, 3:00 PM → 4:30 PM US/Hawaii

112 (Watanabe Hall)

The Pierre Auger Observatory in western Argentina is the largest cosmic-ray experiment ever conducted. Its purpose is to study the highest energy particles in the universe, those arriving at earth with energy in excess of 10^20 eV. Such energy exceeds that which will ever be possible with earthly particle accelerators. Their origin, their identity, and the means by which they are accelerated are unknown. I will discuss our most recent results: (i) the energy spectrum, (ii) correlations of the arrival directions with AGN (iii) evidence that iron nuclei may be the dominant kind of particle, and (iv) limits on how many of the particles can be photons or neutrinos. Plans for the future operation and expansion of the observatory will be discussed.