Related papers: Fluorescence for high school students
The determination of the mass composition of the highest energy cosmic rays is one of the greatest challenges in cosmic ray experiments. The highest energy cosmic rays are only detected indirectly because of their very low flux. Using the…
The CERN-Latin-American School of High-Energy Physics is intended to give young physicists an introduction to the theoretical aspects of recent advances in elementary particle physics. These proceedings contain lecture notes on the Standard…
The detection of atmospheric fluorescence light from extensive air showers has become a powerful tool for accurate measurements of the energy and mass of ultra-high energy cosmic ray particles. Employing large area imaging telescopes with…
High-contrast observations in optical and infrared astronomy are defined as any observation requiring a technique to reveal a celestial object of interest that is in such close angular proximity to another source brighter by a factor of at…
In this paper we describe the different software and hardware elements of a mini-telescope for the detection of cosmic rays and gamma-rays using the Cherenkov light emitted by their induced particle showers in the atmosphere. We estimate…
We present some recent highlights and prospects for the study of hot astrophysical plasmas. Hot plasmas can be studied primarily through their X-ray emission and absorption. Most astrophysical objects, from solar system objects to the…
A new telescope design based on Baker-Nunn optics is proposed for observation of ultra high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs). The optical system has an image resolution of smaller than 0.02$^\circ$ within a wide field of view of 50$^\circ$…
The sources of ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) are still one of the main open questions in high-energy astrophysics. If UHECRs are accelerated in astrophysical sources, they are expected to produce high-energy photons and neutrinos…
Field trips and the outdoor classroom are a vital part of many courses at school and FE/HE level. They apply previously obtained skills and knowledge in the field and further deeper learning. However, it would be desirable to teach the…
Since their first observation in 1962, the existence of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) remains a mystery in modern astrophysics. Those cosmic rays, with energies well above 50 EeV ($50\times 10^{18}$eV), can hardly be accelerated,…
In this contribution we summarize the highlights from the Pierre Auger Observatory presented at the 35th International Cosmic Ray Conference. We discuss the update of the measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic rays over a wide range…
The interdisciplinary topic of archaeo-astronomy links science subjects such as astronomy with archaeology and sociology to explore how ancient societies perceived the heavens above. This is achieved by analysing ancient sites such as…
Hadronic diffraction has become a hot and fashionable subject in recent years due to the great interest triggered by the HERA and Tevatron data. These data have helped to put the field in a different perspective paving the road to a…
After the focal plane of the HFI instrument of the Planck mission (launched in May 2009) reached its operational temperature, we observed thermal signatures of interactions of cosmic rays with the Planck satellite, located at the L2…
This article describes some collaborative activities of the authors, aimed at improving science education in elementary schools. These include curriculum enhancement, development of new apparatus (a wind tunnel), science-education web site…
The imprint of cosmic backgrounds in the gamma ray spectra of blazars has recently been detected by H.E.S.S. and Fermi-LAT, opening the way to studies of gamma-ray propagation on cosmological scales. This proceeding discusses the current…
Cosmic Rays (CRs) include Galactic Cosmic Rays (GCRs) and Anomalous Cosmic Rays (ACRs). The CR flux data of protons and heavy-ions observed with spacecraft are often seriously contaminated by Solar Energetic Particle (SEP) events. In this…
Pulsars are fantastic objects, which show the extreme states of matters and plasma physics not understood yet. Pulsars can be used as probes for the detection of interstellar medium and even the gravitational waves. Here I review the basic…
A long-standing and profound problem in astronomy is the difficulty in obtaining deep near-infrared observations due to the extreme brightness and variability of the night sky at these wavelengths. A solution to this problem is crucial if…
Galaxies are key objects for the study of cosmology, the life cycle of matter, and stellar evolution. X-ray observations have given us a new key window into these building blocks of the Universe, that allows us to investigate their hot…