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| Format: | Preprint |
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2025
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| Online Access: | https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.19984 |
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| _version_ | 1866908556672892928 |
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| author | Pont, Bjarni |
| author_facet | Pont, Bjarni |
| contents | In this contribution, we present the status and first data from the Radio Detector (RD) at the Pierre Auger Observatory, consisting of $1660$ radio antennas deployed across the $3000$ km$^2$ surface detector array. These antennas measure the radio emission from extensive air showers in the $30-80$ MHz band, enabling electromagnetic energy measurements for air showers with zenith angles above $65°$. Combined with the muonic measurements from the water-Cherenkov detectors (WCDs), this allows mass composition studies at the highest energies. The large-scale deployment of the RD began in November 2023 and was completed in November 2024. A full end-to-end calibration shows consistency between Galactic and in-lab calibration to better than $5$\% and includes continuous monitoring for hardware failures, ensuring, for example, antenna alignment within $5°$. We present the first data, demonstrating a strong correlation between the electromagnetic energy measured by the RD and the total shower energy measured by the WCD, confirming that the detector chain - including triggering, data readout, absolute calibration, and reconstruction is well understood. We highlight a particularly impressive $32$ EeV shower at a zenith angle of $85°$, producing a $50$ km-long radio footprint, showcasing the unique capabilities of this detector. |
| format | Preprint |
| id |
arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2509_19984 |
| institution | arXiv |
| publishDate | 2025 |
| record_format | arxiv |
| spellingShingle | First Data of the 3000 km$^2$ Radio Detector at the Pierre Auger Observatory Pont, Bjarni Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics High Energy Physics - Phenomenology In this contribution, we present the status and first data from the Radio Detector (RD) at the Pierre Auger Observatory, consisting of $1660$ radio antennas deployed across the $3000$ km$^2$ surface detector array. These antennas measure the radio emission from extensive air showers in the $30-80$ MHz band, enabling electromagnetic energy measurements for air showers with zenith angles above $65°$. Combined with the muonic measurements from the water-Cherenkov detectors (WCDs), this allows mass composition studies at the highest energies. The large-scale deployment of the RD began in November 2023 and was completed in November 2024. A full end-to-end calibration shows consistency between Galactic and in-lab calibration to better than $5$\% and includes continuous monitoring for hardware failures, ensuring, for example, antenna alignment within $5°$. We present the first data, demonstrating a strong correlation between the electromagnetic energy measured by the RD and the total shower energy measured by the WCD, confirming that the detector chain - including triggering, data readout, absolute calibration, and reconstruction is well understood. We highlight a particularly impressive $32$ EeV shower at a zenith angle of $85°$, producing a $50$ km-long radio footprint, showcasing the unique capabilities of this detector. |
| title | First Data of the 3000 km$^2$ Radio Detector at the Pierre Auger Observatory |
| topic | Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics High Energy Physics - Phenomenology |
| url | https://arxiv.org/abs/2509.19984 |