Radio Detection of Cosmic Ray Air Showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory

by Dr John Kelley (University of Nijmegen)

Friday Dec 2, 2011, 2:45 AM → 3:45 AM Pacific/Honolulu

417A (Watanabe Hall)

The Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory, completed in 2008 and instrumenting an area of over 3000 km^2 in Argentina, has produced the most detailed measurements to date of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, including their arrival directions and energy spectrum, by employing hybrid observations of air showers with particle detectors and fluorescence telescopes. To fully determine the properties of the cosmic rays at the highest energies, however, requires new techniques, such as radio detection of air showers. With this goal in mind, we have constructed the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA), presently consisting of 23 radio-detection stations in Argentina. I will explain the radio detection technique, its advantages and challenges, and show the first hybrid and super-hybrid cosmic ray measurements from AERA.