Speaker
Dr
Frank G. Schröder
(Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT))
Description
The Tunka observatory is located close to Lake Baikal in Siberia, Russia. Its main detector, Tunka-133, is an array of photomultipliers measuring the Cherenkov light emitted by cosmic-ray air showers. It is used to study cosmic rays up to energies of approximately 1 EeV, which is the energy range of the assumed transition from galactic to extra-galactic cosmic rays. The Tunka Radio Extension (Tunka-Rex) started operation in October 2012. It currently consists of 44 antennas distributed over an area of approximately 1 km². Tunka-Rex measures the radio emission of the same air showers, which are also detected by Tunka-133 and Tunka-Grande, a scintillator extension installed at the site in 2014. Tunka-Rex has mainly three goals: First, the demonstration that radio arrays can be economic. This is achieved by adapting the detection technique to the existing infrastructure at the site. Second, the cross-calibration with the air-Cherenkov measurements, and the determination of the precision for the energy and mass of the primary cosmic-ray particles. Third, cosmic-ray physics at energies close to 1 EeV, where the standard Tunka analysis is limited by statistics. In contrast to the air-Cherenkov measurements, radio measurements are not limited to dark nights with good weather and, therefore, can provide an order of magnitude higher event rate at this energy.
Collaboration
Tunka-Rex Collaboration
Primary author
Dr
Frank G. Schröder
(Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT))
Co-author
Collaboration Tunka-Rex
(Tunka site, Siberia)
