DECORS

Human Resources-PNIII/Research projects for stimulating young independent teams/PN-III-P1-1_1-TE-2021-0924, „Large-scale DEtector response to radio signals from ultra-high energy COsmic Rays induced air Showers – DECORS”, 2022-2024

Project Organization

Coordinator (CO): Institute of Space Science – Subsidiary of INFLPR

Project Manager (CO): Dr. Paula Gina Isar

Project team (CO): 2 Scientific Researchers III, 1 Scientific Researcher II, 1 Scientific Researcher Assistant (Master student)

Abstract

Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays are the most rare and energetic particles in the Universe, of which source origin, production mechanisms and type of primary particle we still don’t know yet. Because of this, the Pierre Auger Observatory became the world’s largest cosmic rays experiment on ground, where hundreds of researchers contribute worldwide to the physics studies of the most mysterious particles in the Universe, employing thus complementary innovative detectors on a large-scale in Argentina. Romania became full Auger member in 2014, being represented by 3 institutes presently, among which the host Institute of Space Science is represented by the project leader. The project comes in support of the local Auger group in order to contribute to the current upgrade of Auger detectors, where some are improved and some are extended, as the radio detector will cover the entire array of 3000 km2. The outcome of the project will be towards understanding of the radio detector response at large scale, for inclined events at very high energies, contribution to official simulation production in Auger GRID VO, and optimized simulations with a reduced list of candidate observers in order to accelerate time computing. The project will employ students from a complementary field, and will disseminate results accordingly, to increase the group visibility and science awareness, and support the continuity of research activity of the local group in Auger.

Project goal

The project aims to study the evolution of air showers, with closer look on the electrons and muons ratio, and the radio emission mechanisms of the registered radio signals, as well as the detector response at large-scale, i.e. AugerPrime RD, using HPC, distributed computing and intelligent algorithms to optimize the workflow of data analysis.

Research results

library of simulated and reconstructed events; software for data processing and analysis; server of storage for upgrading the ISS computational resources in Auger grid VO, talk/poster contribution in conferences/workshops; article/proceeding; education and outreach activities; internal note submitted to Auger; project’s web site; intermediate and final project reports.

Milestones

Phase I (done, end of 2022)

Phase II (done, end of 2023)

Phase III (done, mid of May 2024)

Dissemination

  1. Annual Scientific Session of Faculty of  Physics, University of Bucharest, June 24, 2022 (talk, article)
  2. Auger Analysis meeting, Wuppertal, Germany, July 18-22, 2022
  3. XI International Conference on New Frontiers in Physics (online), August 30 – September 11, 2022, Crete, Greece (invited talk on AugerPrime, proceedings submitted in 2023)
  4. Auger Radio workshop (online), October 21-25, 2022
  5. Auger Collaboration meeting (online), November 13-18, 2022, Malargue, Argentina
  6. First edition of the ATCx event in Romania (Altair Technology Conference) organized by SiMART 3D company, November 22th, 2022, Bucharest (networking)
  7. Auger Radio workshop AERA (online), February 28th- March 1st, 2023,
  8. Auger Collaboration meeting (online), March 12-17, 2023, Malargue, Argentina (talk)
  9. Annual Scientific Session of Faculty of  Physics, University of Bucharest, May 26th, 2023 (talk)
  10. Auger Analysis meeting, Bruxelles, Belgium, June 4-9, 2023 (talk)
  11. GCOS meeting (online), Bruxelles, Belgium, June 10-11, 2023
  12. CORSIKA8 workshop (online), June 12-14, 2023
  13. Carpathian Summer School of Physics –  CSSP23, 2-9 July, 2023, Sinaia, Romania (invited talk)
  14. Second edition of the ATCx event in Romania (Altair Technology Conference) organized by SiMART 3D company, 28 Septembe,r 2023, Bucharest (networking)
  15. Earth Explorer 11 User Consultation Meeting, ESA event in Bucharest, October 10-11, 2023
  16. Auger Radio workshop AERA (online), October 18-20, 2023, Karlsruhe, Germany (talk)
  17. Invited work-visit at Hamburg University, November 1-4, 2023 (invited seminar)
  18. Auger Collaboration meeting (online), November 12-17, 2023, Malargue, Argentina (talk)
  19. Auger Radio workshop AERA (online), March 20-22, 2024, Wuppteral, Germany (talk)
  20. Auger Collaboration meeting (online), April 14-19, 2024, Malargue, Argentina (talk)
  21. Annual Scientific Session of Faculty of  Physics, University of Bucharest, May 24th, 2024 (talk/manuscript proposal by July 11th,  2024)
  22. Special issue “Advanced Studies in Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays” of open access journal Universe (manuscript proposal by end June 2024) – TBD
  23. Auger GAP-Note (manuscript submitted on June 28, 2024)

Outreach-Education

  1. Seminar on “Physics studied at the Pierre Auger Observatory” at the Polytechnic University of Bucharest, October 18, 2022
  2. Astronomy School – ASTRO ALL STARS by Expertise Factory (online), November 24, 2022, “Mysteries of cosmic cosmic rays, the messengers of the Universe” by P.G. Isar (invited lecture)
  3. (IMC2023) International MasterClass 2023 – with the Pierre Auger Observatory, March 18, 2023, ISS-Bucharest, in frame of IPPOG – International Particle Physics Outreach Group (organizer, talks, hands-on) AugerMasterClass,  Follow-up
  4. Article in MarketWatch, April 12, 2023, “Aportul cercetarii romanesti la cel mai mare experiment international de studiere a radiatiei cosmice” (interview)
  5. Teachers visit at the ISS-Magurele (organized interdisciplinary workshop, talk), May 16th, 2023
  6. Astrofest, Crangasi-Bucharest Park, May 20, 2023, “Particule mesagere ale spatiului cosmic” (public talk)
  7. Carpathian Summer School of Physics –  CSSP23, 2-9 July, 2023, Sinaia, Romania “Science Education in Astroparticle Physics with the Pierre Auger Observatory” (invited talk)
  8. Auger Early career MasterClass (online), 10 November 2023 (talk)
  9. A special issue “Advanced Studies in Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays” of open access journal Universe (ISSN 2218-1997) was launched in August 2023, with deadline for manuscript submissions by end of July 2024.
  10. (IMC2024) International MasterClass 2024 – with the Pierre Auger Observatory, March 16, 2024, ISS-Bucharest, in frame of IPPOG – International Particle Physics Outreach Group (organizer, mentor, talks, hands-on) AugerMasterClass,  Follow-up
  11. (Seminar ISS) Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays: Some phenomenological and theoretical perspectives, March 27, 2024, Invited speaker: Prof. Dr. Günter Sigl, Universität Hamburg, II. Institut für Theoretische Physik, Hamburg, Germany
  12. (Seminar ISS) Remnants from the past, building blocks for the future: the near-Earth asteroids, April 11, 2024, Invited speaker: Dr. Marcel Popescu, Astronomical Institute of the Romanian Academy, Bucharest, Romania
  13. Master Thesis (in Scientific Computing with application in Astroparticle Physics, defended on June 25, 2024, at University Politechnica Bucharest)

Media

Photo Gallery

Services

  1. Remote operation and monitoring of the Fluorescence and Lidar detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory, September 15 – October 2, 2022 (team from Romania-ISS, France-IN2P3, Australia-U.Adelaide and Argentina-PAO)
  2. Remote operation and monitoring of the Radio detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory, October 10-17, 2022 (team from Romania – ISS, IFIN-HH)
  3. Remote operation and monitoring of the Radio detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory, January 16-23, 2023 (team from Romania – ISS, IFIN-HH)
  4. Remote operation and monitoring of the Surface Water-Cherenkov Particle Detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory, May 1-15, 2023 (team from Romania – ISS)
  5. Remote operation and monitoring of the Radio detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory, May 22-29, 2023 (team from Romania – ISS, IFIN-HH)
  6. Remote operation and monitoring of the Radio detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory, July 24-31, 2023 (team from Romania – ISS, IFIN-HH)
  7. Remote operation and monitoring of the Fluorescence and Lidar detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory, August 6 – 25, 2023 (teams from Romania-ISS & IFIN-HH and Argentina-PAO)
  8. Remote operation and monitoring of the Radio detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory, January 15-22, 2024 (team from Romania – ISS, IFIN-HH)
  9. Remote operation and monitoring of the Radio detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory, March 25-April 1st, 2024 (team from Romania – ISS, IFIN-HH)
  10. Remote operation and monitoring of the Surface Water-Cherenkov Particle Detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory, April 16-30, 2024 (team from Romania – ISS)
  11. Remote operation and monitoring of the Radio detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory, June 3-10, 2024 (team from Romania – ISS, IFIN-HH)
  12. Remote operation and monitoring of the Fluorescence and Lidar detectors at the Pierre Auger Observatory, July 26 – August 13, 2024 (remote operation from Romania-ISS, with teams from Romania-ISS and Germany-DESY) – TBD

Publications: see Web of Science