Modeling the Optical Cherenkov Signals by Cosmic Ray Extensive Air Showers Directly Observed from Sub-Orbital and Orbital Altitudes. (arXiv:2105.03255v2 [astro-ph.IM] UPDATED)
<a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Cummings_A/0/1/0/all/0/1">Austin Cummings</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Aloisio_R/0/1/0/all/0/1">Roberto Aloisio</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Eser_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">Johannes Eser</a>, <a href="http://arxiv.org/find/astro-ph/1/au:+Krizmanic_J/0/1/0/all/0/1">John Krizmanic</a>
Future experiments based on the observation of Earth’s atmosphere from
sub-orbital and orbital altitudes plan to include optical Cherenkov cameras to
observe extensive air showers produced by high-energy cosmic radiation via its
interaction with both the Earth and its atmosphere. As discussed elsewhere,
particularly relevant is the case of upward-moving showers initiated by
astrophysical neutrinos skimming and interacting in the Earth. The Cherenkov
cameras, by looking above Earth’s limb, can also detect cosmic rays with
energies starting from less than a PeV up to the highest energies (tens of
EeV). Using a customized computation scheme to determine the expected optical
Cherenkov signal from these high-energy cosmic rays, we estimate the
sensitivity and event rate for balloon-borne and satellite-based instruments,
focusing our analysis on the Extreme Universe Space Observatory aboard a Super
Pressure Balloon 2 (EUSO-SPB2) and the Probe of Extreme Multi-Messenger
Astrophysics (POEMMA) experiments. We find the expected event rates to be
larger than hundreds of events per hour of experimental live time, enabling a
promising overall test of the Cherenkov detection technique from sub-orbital
and orbital altitudes as well as a guaranteed signal that can be used for
understanding the response of the instrument.
Future experiments based on the observation of Earth’s atmosphere from
sub-orbital and orbital altitudes plan to include optical Cherenkov cameras to
observe extensive air showers produced by high-energy cosmic radiation via its
interaction with both the Earth and its atmosphere. As discussed elsewhere,
particularly relevant is the case of upward-moving showers initiated by
astrophysical neutrinos skimming and interacting in the Earth. The Cherenkov
cameras, by looking above Earth’s limb, can also detect cosmic rays with
energies starting from less than a PeV up to the highest energies (tens of
EeV). Using a customized computation scheme to determine the expected optical
Cherenkov signal from these high-energy cosmic rays, we estimate the
sensitivity and event rate for balloon-borne and satellite-based instruments,
focusing our analysis on the Extreme Universe Space Observatory aboard a Super
Pressure Balloon 2 (EUSO-SPB2) and the Probe of Extreme Multi-Messenger
Astrophysics (POEMMA) experiments. We find the expected event rates to be
larger than hundreds of events per hour of experimental live time, enabling a
promising overall test of the Cherenkov detection technique from sub-orbital
and orbital altitudes as well as a guaranteed signal that can be used for
understanding the response of the instrument.
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