Related papers: Data Processing at the Pierre Auger Observatory
We describe the method devised to reconstruct inclined cosmic-ray air showers with zenith angles greater than $60^\circ$ detected with the surface array of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The measured signals at the ground level are fitted to…
The world's largest cosmic-ray detector is nearing completion in the remote Pampas of Argentina. This instrument measures extensive air-showers with energies from ${10^{18}-10^{20}}$ eV and beyond. A surface detector array of area 3000…
The Pierre Auger Observatory, recently completed, has been operational since 2004. As a hybrid experiment, it allows for a wide range of measurements of UHECR-induced extensive air showers (EAS), including measurements of the EAS particle…
The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory measures the atmospheric depth, $X_{max}$, where the longitudinal profile of the high energy air showers reaches its maximum. This is sensitive to the nuclear mass composition of the…
A detailed simulation of air showers produced by dust grains has been performed by means of the {\sc aires} Monte Carlo code with the aim of comparing with experimental data. Our analysis indicates that extensive dust grain air showers must…
The Pierre Auger Observatory, located on a vast, high plain in western Argentina, is the world's largest cosmic ray observatory. The objectives of the Observatory are to probe the origin and characteristics of cosmic rays above $10^{17}$ eV…
Three months of data taken by the Engineering Array Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory have been analyzed with the aim of setting a procedure for the study of showers at E_0 ~ 10^18 eV. We present the results, concerning: (i)…
Atmospheric parameters, such as pressure (P), temperature (T) and density, affect the development of extensive air showers initiated by energetic cosmic rays. We have studied the impact of atmospheric variations on extensive air showers by…
Ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) are particles, likely protons and/or nuclei, with energies up to $10^{20}$ eV that are observed through the giant air showers they produce in the atmosphere. These particles carry the information on…
The Pierre Auger Observatory detects ultra-high energy cosmic rays by implementing two complementary air-shower techniques. The combination of a large ground array and fluorescence detectors, known as the "hybrid" concept, means that a rich…
Atmospheric conditions at the site of a cosmic ray observatory must be known for reconstructing observed extensive air showers. The Global Data Assimilation System (GDAS) is a global atmospheric model predicated on meteorological…
A brief review of the energy spectrum of primary cosmic rays above $10^{10}$ eV and the measurement techniques used to investigate the ultra high energy ones is given. This is followed by a discussion of the atmospheric shower profile of…
We present measurements of the atmospheric depth of the shower maximum $X_\mathrm{max}$, inferred for the first time on an event-by-event level using the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Using deep learning, we were able to…
We use a kinetic-equation approach to describe the propagation of ultra high energy cosmic ray protons and nuclei comparing theoretical results with the observations of the Pierre Auger Observatory.
With the knowledge and statistical precision derived from two decades of measurement, the Pierre Auger Observatory has significantly deepened our understanding of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays while unearthing an increasingly complex…
This paper summarizes some highlights from the Pierre Auger Observatory that were presented at the ICRC 2011 in Beijing. The cumulative exposure has grown by more than 60% since the previous ICRC to above 21000 km^2 sr yr. Besides giving…
The Pierre Auger Observatory has recently undergone a major upgrade, called AugerPrime, tailored to answer the current most pressing questions in the ultra-high-energy cosmic ray (UHECR) detection. The AugerPrime upgrade consists of the…
The Pierre Auger Observatory allows the measurement of both longitudinal profiles and lateral particle distributions of high-energy showers. The former trace the overall shower development, mainly of the electromagnetic component close to…
The Pierre Auger (cosmic ray) Observatory provides a laboratory for studying fundamental physics at energies far beyond those available at colliders. The Observatory is sensitive not only to hadrons and photons, but can in principle detect…
The discrepancies in the results produced by the two most commonly used Monte Carlo programs for simulation of propagation of ultra-high energy cosmic ray photons in the presence of the geomagnetic field are presented. Although photons have…