2017 Fiscal Year Annual Research Report
Next generation detectors for study from balloon and space of terrestrial and cosmic UV signals
| Project/Area Number |
17H02905
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| Research Institution | Institute of Physical and Chemical Research |
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Principal Investigator |
CASOLINO MARCO 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, EUSOチーム, チームリーダー (10598163)
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| Co-Investigator(Kenkyū-buntansha) |
滝澤 慶之 国立研究開発法人理化学研究所, 戎崎計算宇宙物理研究室, 専任研究員 (70312246)
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| Project Period (FY) |
2017-04-01 – 2020-03-31
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| Keywords | 国際宇宙ステーション / 超高エネルギー宇宙線 / Earth observation / Strange quark matter |
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| Outline of Annual Research Achievements |
In 2017 we have successfully completed the launch campaign of the NASA super pressure Balloon EUSO-SPB. The launch took place on the 25 of April 2017 from the Wanaka (New Zealand) airfield and the flight lasted for 12 days. Although terminated prematurely due to a leak in the sealed balloon, the instrument has worked very well, measure Ultra-Violet emissions of the sea at night time. Also, transient phenomena have been observed (artificial light, cosmic rays hitting the focal surface, UV flashes) and data analysis is currently in progress.
Following the success of EUSO-SPB, a second super pressure balloon flight is currently under development (EUSO-SPB2) and the flight is planned by 2021 to sturdy both Ultra High energy cosmic rays and Cherenkov light emitted by tau neutrino induced showers.
In 2017 the construction of the Mini-Euso detector continued. Currently, due to a delay in the signature of the agreement between Italian and Russian space agencies, the launch is schedule by the end of 2018. In 2017 we have finalized the construction of the engineering model performing several calibration and integration campaigns, in Riken, in Rome, and Turin, both in the laboratory environment and at the observatory.
The acquisition board of Mini-Euso and the upgraded ASIC (front-end electronic boards) of Mini-Euso have also been applied to the refurbishment of the ground telescope EUSO-TA. The focal surface has been retrieved tom Utah and work to upgrade the readout with the new Hardware has started and is currently in progress.
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| Current Status of Research Progress |
Current Status of Research Progress
2: Research has progressed on the whole more than it was originally planned.
Reason
Current status of the project is good. We are working in the data analysis of the EUSO-SPB flight, as well as in the integration of MINI-EUSO detector. At the current moment MINI-EUSO Engineering model is undergoing integration and test in light of the acceptance tests and shipping in Russia. The Engineering model is identical to the one which will fly on the International Space Station (with the exception of a smaller focal surface) and will undergo all vibration and electromagnetic compatibility tests to ensure the flight model will be suitable to fly.
In parallel an upgraded acquisition system is being prepared for the EUSO-TA detector. This will improve greatly the efficiency of acquisition in Utah and widen the scope also to the study of slower phenomena as study of meteors and search for Strange Quark Matter.
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| Strategy for Future Research Activity |
Plans for research in FY 2018 includes the completion of the Engineering model of MINI-EUSO and the acceptance tests in Russia (Summer 2018); the realization of the Flight Model of MINI-EUSO, its shipping to Russia and ultimately to the cosmodrome of Baikonur (Kazakistan) for launch to the International Space Station (about winter 2018, to be defined pending the launch schedule of progress capsules). After the launch data taking will begin for an expected period of three years.
We also plan to have EUSO-TA in operations for acquisition of UHECR (both in externally triggered mode and in internally / autonomous trigger mode). We will automatize the acquisition and control it in remote to increase the efficiency of the acquisition procedure.
Also data analysis of EUSO-SPB flight will continue as well as the data coming from calibration and field testing of MINI-EUSO and EUSO-TA. Also development of the second SPB mission (EUSO-SPB2) with relative definition of the optics will be performed.
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Research Products
(3 results)
