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Measurement of the Fluorescence Yield for UHECR study. Gwenaëlle LEFEUVRE APC – Collège de France. Cosmic Rays Fluorescence Yield Measurements. Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays. Energy max. ? Nature ? Origin ? Processes ?. The need of an accurate energy.
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Measurement of the Fluorescence Yield for UHECR study Gwenaëlle LEFEUVRE APC – Collège de France
Cosmic Rays • Fluorescence • Yield Measurements
Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays Energy max. ? Nature ? Origin ? Processes ?
The need of an accurate energy 15 % in energy almost 40 % in flux * E3 !
Air shower Cosmic ray • some 103 hadrons • some 109 electrons Fluorescence (isotropic) Cosmic ray Charged particles Nuclei Electromagnetic part : 90 % of total energy ! Cerenkov cone
Detecting the UHECR • Sampling • extrapolation of cross sections • AGASA, Auger • Fluorescence • development of the shower • HiRes, Auger, EUSO Today : Auger calibration of surface detector by fluorescence
What is the fluorescence ? Excitation e-sh + N2 e- + N2+* + e-sh e- + N2+ N2* e- + N2 e- + N2* Bunner, PhD thesis, 1967
Fluorescence spectrum • « Dry air » (80 % N2, 20% O2), 1 bar • after correction of spectrometer response • electron gun, 1013 e-/s Intensity (rel. unit.) Wavelength (Ulrich, Airlight workshop, 2003)
Yield (photons / m) De-excitation of nitrogen • Radiation • Internal • Collision • Recombination : O2 Null pressure f(P, T) Pressure (hPa) photons / e- / meter
US-Standard 76 atmosphere Temperature Density Pressure
Yield variation with altitude Models Measurements
Absolute yield in [300, 430] nm with the best accuracy possible Absolute fluorescence spectrum Objectives To achieve this : need an accurate and absolute calibration of the detectors
the setup 370 MBq
the setup BG3 (Schott) Transmission (%) wavelength (nm)