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Falcke H, Apel WD, Badea AF, Bähren L, Bekk K, Bercuci A, Bertaina M, Biermann PL, Blümer J, Bozdog H, Brancus IM, Buitink S, Brüggemann M, Buchholz P, Butcher H, Chiavassa A, Daumiller K, de Bruyn AG, de Vos CM, Di Pierro F, Doll P, Engel R, Gemmeke H, Ghia PL, Glasstetter R, Grupen C, Haungs A, Heck D, Hörandel JR, Horneffer A, Huege T, Kampert KH, Kant GW, Klein U, Kolotaev Y, Koopman Y, Krömer O, Kuijpers J, Lafebre S, Maier G, Mathes HJ, Mayer HJ, Milke J, Mitrica B, Morello C, Navarra G, Nehls S, Nigl A, Obenland R, Oehlschläger J, Ostapchenko S, Over S, Pepping HJ, Petcu M, Petrovic J, Plewnia S, Rebel H, Risse A, Roth M, Schieler H, Schoonderbeek G, Sima O, Stümpert M, Toma G, Trinchero GC, Ulrich H, Valchierotti S, van Buren J, van Cappellen W, Walkowiak W, Weindl A, Wijnholds S, Wochele J, Zabierowski J, Zensus JA, Zimmermann D. Detection and imaging of atmospheric radio flashes from cosmic ray air showers. Nature 2005; 435:313-6. [PMID: 15902250 DOI: 10.1038/nature03614] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/14/2005] [Accepted: 04/04/2005] [Indexed: 11/09/2022]
Abstract
The nature of ultrahigh-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) at energies >10(20) eV remains a mystery. They are likely to be of extragalactic origin, but should be absorbed within approximately 50 Mpc through interactions with the cosmic microwave background. As there are no sufficiently powerful accelerators within this distance from the Galaxy, explanations for UHECRs range from unusual astrophysical sources to exotic string physics. Also unclear is whether UHECRs consist of protons, heavy nuclei, neutrinos or gamma-rays. To resolve these questions, larger detectors with higher duty cycles and which combine multiple detection techniques are needed. Radio emission from UHECRs, on the other hand, is unaffected by attenuation, has a high duty cycle, gives calorimetric measurements and provides high directional accuracy. Here we report the detection of radio flashes from cosmic-ray air showers using low-cost digital radio receivers. We show that the radiation can be understood in terms of the geosynchrotron effect. Our results show that it should be possible to determine the nature and composition of UHECRs with combined radio and particle detectors, and to detect the ultrahigh-energy neutrinos expected from flavour mixing.
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Affiliation(s)
- H Falcke
- Max-Planck-Institut für Radioastronomie, 53121 Bonn, Germany.
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