Speaker
Description
The study of cosmic rays – charged particles that traverse the universe at nearly the speed of light – is an important domain within astrophysics. When a cosmic ray particle interacts with an air nucleus in the Earth's upper atmosphere, it induces a so called Extensive Air Shower (EAS).
At the Pierre Auger Observatory, the surface detector stations used to detect and measure these cosmic-ray air showers are placed in a triangular ground pattern with a 1500 m spacing, covering a total area of about 3000 km². Naturally, the need arises to wirelessly synchronize the clocks of each station with one another. Current synchronization methods rely on Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), like GPS, which typically achieve a relative time synchronization accuracy of 10 to 15 ns.
However, time synchronization with 1 ns or even sub-ns accuracy between these detector stations is a very challenging technological problem. Such wireless time synchronization technology would offer exciting possibilities for advancing the precision of cosmic ray air shower measurements. This extends to various applications within the field, including the utilization of radio-interferometric analysis techniques. More precise measurements would help resolve many outstanding mysteries, such as the composition of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs), the identification of their sources, and the understanding of their acceleration mechanisms.
This talk will report on recent findings regarding the capabilities of the latest multi-band GNSS receivers, which implement correction techniques to combat the challenges ordinary GNSS receivers are faced with, as well as report on recent findings concerning the limitations of another promising synchronization technique, the so-called radio beacon reference transmitter, which is deployed at the Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA), a sub-array of the Pierre Auger Observatory.
