Abstract
A sophisticated technique to study ultra-high-energy cosmic rays is to measure the extensive air showers they cause in the atmosphere. Upon impact on the atmosphere, the cosmic rays generate a cascade of secondary particles, forming the air shower. The shower particles excite the atmospheric nitrogen molecules, which emit fluorescence light in the near ultraviolet regime when de-exciting. Observation of the fluorescence light with suitable optical telescopes allows a reconstruction of the energy and arrival direction of the initial particle. Due to their high photon detection efficiency, silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) promise to improve current photomultipliertube- based fluorescence telescopes. We present the design and a full detector simulation of an SiPM-based fluorescence telescope prototype, together with the expected telescope performance, and our first construction steps. The simulation includes the air showers, the propagation of the fluorescence light through the atmosphere and its detection by our refracting telescope. We have also developed a phenomenological SiPM model based on measurements in our laboratories, simulating the electrical response. This model contains the photon detection efficiency, its dependence on the incidence angle of light and the effects of thermal and correlated noise. We have made a full performance analysis for the detection of air showers including the environmental background light. Moreover, we will present the RandD in compact modular electronics using photon counting techniques for the telescope readout.
Highlights
The fluorescence detection of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays is a well established detection technique used for example by the Pierre Auger Observatory [1] and the Telescope Array [2]
We present plans for FAMOUS, a prototype fluorescence telescope using SiPMs and a special light collecting optical system of Winston cones to increase the sensitive area
The structure of this paper is the following: in section 2 we briefly describe the working principle of SiPMs and present some of our characterization measurements and their impact on an SiPM fluorescence telescope
Summary
The fluorescence detection of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays is a well established detection technique used for example by the Pierre Auger Observatory [1] and the Telescope Array [2]. Up to now fluorescence telescopes use photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) as the photosensitive part of their cameras These PMTs typically have maximum photon detection efficiencies ranging from 27% to 37%. These values are already reached by currently available silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). SiPMs are rather new photon detectors and much progress can be expected for future types They offer the potential for low cost mass production. They might be the right choice for the photosensitive component of a generation, large scale fluorescence detector.
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