Search for photons above 1018 eV by simultaneously measuring the atmospheric depth and the muon content of air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory
The result's identifiers
Result code in IS VaVaI
<a href="https://www.isvavai.cz/riv?ss=detail&h=RIV%2F68378271%3A_____%2F24%3A00617903" target="_blank" >RIV/68378271:_____/24:00617903 - isvavai.cz</a>
Alternative codes found
RIV/00216208:11320/24:10493932 RIV/61989592:15310/24:73628951
Result on the web
<a href="https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0364767" target="_blank" >https://hdl.handle.net/11104/0364767</a>
DOI - Digital Object Identifier
<a href="http://dx.doi.org/10.1103/PhysRevD.110.062005" target="_blank" >10.1103/PhysRevD.110.062005</a>
Alternative languages
Result language
angličtina
Original language name
Search for photons above 1018 eV by simultaneously measuring the atmospheric depth and the muon content of air showers at the Pierre Auger Observatory
Original language description
The Pierre Auger Observatory is the most sensitive instrument to detect photons with energies above 1017 eV. It measures extensive air showers generated by ultrahigh energy cosmic rays using a hybrid technique that exploits the combination of a fluorescence detector with a ground array of particle detectors. The signatures of a photon-induced air shower are a larger atmospheric depth of the shower maximum (X-max) and a steeper lateral distribution function, along with a lower number of muons with respect to the bulk of hadron-induced cascades. In this work, a new analysis technique in the energy interval between 1 and 30 EeV (1 EeV = 10(18) eV) has been developed by combining the fluorescence detector-based measurement of Xmax with the specific features of the surface detector signal through a parameter related to the air shower muon content, derived from the universality of the air shower development. No evidence of a statistically significant signal due to photon primaries was found using data collected in about 12 years of operation. Thus, upper bounds to the integral photon flux have been set using a detailed calculation of the detector exposure, in combination with a data-driven background estimation. The derived 95% confidence level upper limits are 0.0403, 0.01113, 0.0035, 0.0023, and 0.0021 km(-2) sr(-1) yr(-1) above 1, 2, 3, 5, and 10 EeV, respectively, leading to the most stringent upper limits on the photon flux in the EeV range. Compared with past results, the upper limits were improved by about 40% for the lowest energy threshold and by a factor 3 above 3 EeV, where no candidates were found and the expected background is negligible. The presented limits can be used to probe the assumptions on chemical composition of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays and allow for the constraint of the mass and lifetime phase space of super-heavy dark matter particles.
Czech name
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Czech description
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Classification
Type
J<sub>imp</sub> - Article in a specialist periodical, which is included in the Web of Science database
CEP classification
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OECD FORD branch
10303 - Particles and field physics
Result continuities
Project
Result was created during the realization of more than one project. More information in the Projects tab.
Continuities
P - Projekt vyzkumu a vyvoje financovany z verejnych zdroju (s odkazem do CEP)<br>I - Institucionalni podpora na dlouhodoby koncepcni rozvoj vyzkumne organizace
Others
Publication year
2024
Confidentiality
S - Úplné a pravdivé údaje o projektu nepodléhají ochraně podle zvláštních právních předpisů
Data specific for result type
Name of the periodical
Physical Review D
ISSN
2470-0010
e-ISSN
2470-0029
Volume of the periodical
110
Issue of the periodical within the volume
6
Country of publishing house
US - UNITED STATES
Number of pages
21
Pages from-to
062005
UT code for WoS article
001375644700001
EID of the result in the Scopus database
2-s2.0-85206251817