Self-triggered radio detection and identification of cosmic air showers with the OVRO-LWA

Abstract

A successful ground array Radio Frequency (RF)-only self-trigger on 10 high-energy cosmic ray events is demonstrated with 256 dual-polarization antennas of the Owens Valley Radio Observatory Long Wavelength Array (OVRO-LWA). This RF-only capability is predicated on novel techniques for Radio Frequency Interference (RFI) identification and mitigation with an analysis efficiency of 45\% for shower-driven events with a Signal-to-noise ratio $\gtrsim$ 5 against the galactic background noise power of individual antennas. This technique enables more efficient detection of cosmic rays over a wider range of zenith angles than possible via triggers from in-situ particle detectors and can be easily adapted by neutrino experiments relying on RF-only detection. This paper discusses the system design, RFI characterization and mitigation techniques, and initial results from 10 cosmic ray events identified within a 40-hour observing window. A design for a future optimized commensal cosmic-ray detector for the OVRO-LWA is presented, as well as recommendations for developing a similar capability for other experiments -- these designs either reduce data-rate or increase sensitivity by an order of magnitude for many configurations of radio instruments.

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Cited by in corpus (10)

• A 21-cm power spectrum at 48 MHz, using the Owens Valley Long Wavelength Array
• Design and Initial Performance of the Prototype for the BEACON Instrument for Detection of Ultrahigh Energy Particles
• Radio interferometry applied to the observation of cosmic-ray induced extensive air showers
• Radio Detection of High Energy Neutrinos in Ice
• Uncertainties of the 30-408 MHz Galactic emission as a calibration source for radio detectors in astroparticle physics
• The SKA Particle Array Prototype: The First Particle Detector at the Murchison Radio-astronomy Observatory
• An Ultra-High Time Resolution Cosmic Ray Detection Mode for the Murchison Widefield Array
• Radio Detection of ultra-high-energy Cosmic-Ray Air Showers
• Towards the Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection (GRAND): the GRANDProto300 and GRAND@Auger prototypes
• Background identification algorithm for future self-triggered air-shower radio arrays