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Register a new userDetecting particles with cell phones: the Distributed Electronic Cosmic-ray Observatory
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Added by
Justin Vandenbroucke
Publication date
2015
fields
Physics
and research's language is
English
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In 2014 the number of active cell phones worldwide for the first time surpassed the number of humans. Cell phone camera quality and onboard processing power (both CPU and GPU) continue to improve rapidly. In addition to their primary purpose of detecting photons, camera image sensors on cell phones and other ubiquitous devices such as tablets, laptops and digital cameras can detect ionizing radiation produced by cosmic rays and radioactive decays. While cosmic rays have long been understood and characterized as a nuisance in astronomical cameras, they can also be identified as a signal in idle camera image sensors. We present the Distributed Electronic Cosmic-ray Observatory (DECO), a platform for outreach and education as well as for citizen science. Consisting of an app and associated database and web site, DECO harnesses the power of distributed camera image sensors for cosmic-ray detection.
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The total area of silicon in cell phone camera sensors worldwide surpasses that in any experiment to date. Based on semiconductor technology similar to that found in modern astronomical telescopes and particle detectors, these sensors can detect ionizing radiation in addition to photons. The Distributed Electronic Cosmic-ray Observatory (DECO) uses the global network of active cell phones in order to detect cosmic rays and other energetic particles such as those produced by radioactive decays. DECO consists of an Android application, database, and public data browser available to citizen scientists around the world (https://wipac.wisc.edu/deco). Candidate cosmic-ray events have been detected on all seven continents and can be categorized by the morphology of their corresponding images. We present the DECO project, a novel particle detector with wide applications in public outreach and education.
The Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO) is a project dedicated to global studies of extremely extended cosmic-ray phenomena, the cosmic-ray ensembles (CRE), beyond the capabilities of existing detectors and observatories. Up to date cosmic-ray research has been focused on detecting single air showers, while the search for ensembles of cosmic-rays, which may overspread a significant fraction of the Earth, is a scientific terra incognita. Instead of developing and commissioning a completely new global detector infrastructure, CREDO proposes approaching the global cosmic-ray analysis objectives with all types of available detectors, from professional to pocket size, merged into a worldwide network. With such a network it is possible to search for evidences of correlated cosmic-ray ensembles. One of the observables that can be investigated in CREDO is a number of spatially isolated events collected in a small time window which could shed light on fundamental physics issues. The CREDO mission and strategy requires active engagement of a large number of participants, also non-experts, who will contribute to the project by using common electronic devices (e.g. smartphones). In this note the status and perspectives of the project is presented.
The main objective of the Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO) is the detection and analysis of extended cosmic ray phenomena, so-called super-preshowers (SPS), using existing as well as new infrastructure (cosmic-ray observatories, educational detectors, single detectors etc.). The search for ensembles of cosmic ray events initiated by SPS is yet an untouched ground, in contrast to the current state-of-the-art analysis, which is focused on the detection of single cosmic ray events. Theoretical explanation of SPS could be given either within classical (e.g., photon-photon interaction) or exotic (e.g., Super Heavy Dark Matter decay or annihilation) scenarios, thus detection of SPS would provide a better understanding of particle physics, high energy astrophysics and cosmology. The ensembles of cosmic rays can be classified based on the spatial and temporal extent of particles constituting the ensemble. Some classes of SPS are predicted to have huge spatial distribution, a unique signature detectable only with a facility of the global size. Since development and commissioning of a completely new facility with such requirements is economically unwarranted and time-consuming, the global analysis goals are achievable when all types of existing detectors are merged into a worldwide network. The idea to use the instruments in operation is based on a novel trigger algorithm: in parallel to looking for neighbour surface detectors receiving the signal simultaneously, one should also look for spatially isolated stations clustered in a small time window.
The Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO) is an infrastructure for global analysis of extremely extended cosmic-ray phenomena, so-called super-preshowers, beyond the capabilities of existing, discrete, detectors and observatories. To date cosmic-ray research has been focused on detecting single air showers, while the search for ensembles of cosmic-ray events induced by super-preshowers is a scientific terra incognita - CREDO explores this uncharted realm. Positive detection of super-preshowers would have an impact on ultra-high energy astrophysics, cosmology and the physics of fundamental particle interactions as they can theoretically be formed within both classical (photon-photon interactions) and exotic (Super Heavy Dark Matter particle decay and interaction) scenarios. Some super-preshowers are predicted to have a significant spatial extent - a unique signature only detectable with the existing cosmic-ray infrastructure taken as a global network. An obvious, although yet unprobed, super-preshower detection limit would be located somewhere between an air shower, induced by a super-preshower composed of tightly collimated particles, and a super-preshower composed of particles spread so widely that only few of them can reach the Earth. CREDO will probe this detection limit, leading to either an observation of an as yet unseen physical phenomenon, or the setting upper limits to the existence of large extraterrestrial cascades which would constrain fundamental physics models. While CREDOs focus is on testing physics at energies close to the Grand Unified Theories range, the broader phenomena are expected to be composed of particles with energies ranging from GeV to ZeV. This motivates our advertising of this concept across the astroparticle physics community.
Although the photon structure is most efficiently studied with the accelerator instruments, there is also a scientifically complementary potential in investigations on photons produced in the outer space. This potential is already being explored with gamma ray telescopes, ultra-high energy cosmic ray observatories and, since very recently, by the Cosmic-Ray Extremely Distributed Observatory (CREDO). Unlike the former instruments focused on detection of single photons, CREDO aims at the detection of cascades (ensembles) of photons originating even at astrophysical distances. If at least a part of such a cascade reaches Earth, it might produce a unique pattern composed of a number of air showers observable by an appropriately dense array of standard detectors. If the energies of air showers constituting the pattern are relatively low and if the typical distances between the neighbors are large, the ensemble character of the whole phenomenon might remain uncovered, unless the CREDO strategy is implemented.
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