Telescope Array Project: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 22:01, 9 July 2017

Revision as of 00:22, 27 October 2017

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==Surface detector==

[[File:SurfaceDetection.svg|right|200px|A Scintillator Surface Detector from Telescope Array]]

The surface detectors that make up the ground array are activated when ionizing particles from an extensive air shower pass through them. When these particles pass through the plastic scintillator within the detector, it induces photo electrons which are then gathered by wavelength-shifting fibers and sent to a photomultiplier tube. The electronic components within the detectors then filter the results, giving the detectors comparable accuracy to the AGASA experiment.<ref name=Kawai2008>{{cite journal|last=Kawai|first=H|display-authors=etal |title=Telescope Array Experiment|journal=Nuclear Physics B: (Proceedings Supplements)|date=2008|pages=220–226|doi=10.1016/j.nuclphysbps.2007.11.002|bibcode = 2008NuPhS.175..221K }}</ref>

The surface detectors are evenly distributed across a 762&nbsp;km² grid array with 1.2&nbsp;km between each unit. Each surface detector has an assembled weight of 250&nbsp;kg and consists of a power supply, two layers of scintillation detectors and electronics. Power is generated by a 120W solar panel and stored in a sealed lead-acid battery. The system has the capacity to operate for one week in complete darkness. Each scintillation detector layer is made of extruded plastic scintillator that is 1.2&nbsp;cm thick and has an area of 3m². The photo multiplier tube is connected to the scintillator via 96 wavelength-shifting fibers.

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==TALE==

TALE is the Telescope Array Low Energy extension. It is designed to observe cosmic rays with energies between 3×10¹⁶eV and 10¹⁹eV. TALE adds 10 new telescopes to the Middle Drum observatory site (24 total telescopes) extending the vertical field of view so that it now extends from 3 to 59 degrees in elevation. This allows the station to see the shower development including shower maximum for lower energy events. This is critical when trying to determine the chemical composition of the incident cosmic ray particle.<ref name=Martens2007>{{cite journal|last=Martens|first=Kai|title=The Telescope Array and its Low Energy Extension|journal=Nuclear Physics B: (Proceedings Supplements)|date=2007|volume=165|pages=33–36|doi=10.1016/j.nuclphysbps.2006.11.006|bibcode = 2007NuPhS.165...33M }}</ref>

The TALE project also has a graded infill array of scintillator stations spaced 400m and 600m apart. It then connects to the main Telescope Array scintillator array where the scintillator detectors are 1200m apart. These stations measure charged particle densities (the shower footprint) at the Earth's surface for lower energy events approaching 3x10¹⁶eV

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{{University of Utah}}

[[Category:High energy particle telescopes]]

[[Category:Cosmic-ray experiments]]