Experimental methods and detectors in high energy astrophysics

• knowledge of particle detection and identification methods, data analysis and interpretation in astroparticle physics experiments;
• elaboration of students' ability to successfully integrate the experimental teams working on the current detectors or preparing the future ones.

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• Particle detector experiments on balloons and satellites (AMS-02, Fermi-LAT). Tracking, calorimetry, particle identification. Performances and results.
• Cosmic ray showers. Electromagnetic and hadronic cascades. Hadronic interactions. Media used for calorimetry (air, ice, etc.) and their performances.
• Cosmic ray detectors. Pierre Auger, Telescope Array. Fluorescence detectors. Hybrid detection. Results on arrival directions, energy spectrum, composition. R&D on radio detection.
• Very-high energy (VHE) gamma-ray detectors. Imaging air Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). Existing IACT arrays (H.E.S.S., MAGIC, VERITAS), performances and results. Galactic and extragalactic sources. Cherenkov Telescope Array, layout, design, performances and goals.
• Non-imaging VHE gamma-ray detectors, results (Milagro, ARGO, HAWC, LHAASO). Next generation detectors (SWGO).
• Detectors of VHE astrophysical neutrinos. Neutrino telescope IceCube. New detectors KM3NeT, Baikal- GVD.
• Detectors of gravitational waves. Interferometers. LIGO, VIRGO.
• Multi-messenger synergies and networks.
• knowledge of particle detection and identification methods, data analysis and interpretation in astroparticle physics experiments;
• elaboration of students' ability to successfully integrate the experimental teams working on the current detectors or preparing the future ones.

Students will learn:
- how to identify typical sources of systematic errors and assess key performances (sensitivity, energy range, energy and angular resolutions, acceptance, duty cycle etc.) of astroparticle physics experiments, their current limitations, and the methods and techniques of improvement of the detector characteristics;
- how to assess the measurements and interpret the results in modern astroparticle physics experiments.

Basic:

• T. Stanev, High energy cosmic rays, Springer, 2009. Catalogue
• A. De Angelis, M.J.M. Pimenta, Introduction to Particle and Astroparticle Physics. Undergraduate Lecture Notes in Physics. Springer, Milano, 2015. Catalogue

Additional:

Books:
* K. Kleinknecht, Detectors for particle radiation, Cambridge University Press, 1986. Catalogue
* T. K. Gaisser, Cosmic rays and particle physics, Cambridge University Press, 1990. Catalogue
* M. S. Longair, High energy astrophysics, Cambridge University Press, 2011. Catalogue E-version

Articles:
* Pierre Auger Collaboration, Properties and performance of the prototype instrument for the Pierre Auger Observatory, NIM A523 (2004), pages 50-95. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2003.12.012 E-version
* CTA Consortium, Design concepts for the Cherenkov Telescope Array CTA : an advanced facility for ground-based high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, Exp. astronomy, 32 (2013), pages 193-316. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10686-011-9247-0 E-version
* K. Louedec, Atmospheric effects in astroparticle physics experiments and the chal-lenge of ever greater precision in measurements, Astropart. Physics, 60 (2015), 54-71. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2014.05.011 E-version
* T. K. Gaisser and Francis Halzen, IceCube, Ann. Rev. of Nucl. & Part. Sci, 64 (2014) 101. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-nucl-102313-025321 E-version
* K. Riles, Gravitational Waves: Sources, Detectors and Searches, PPNP 68 (2013) 1-54. https://doi.org/10.48550/arXiv.1209.0667 E-version

• written report
• oral presentation

Dr. Sergey Vorobyev is associate professor of physics at the University of Nova Gorica.

Izbrane objave / selected publications:
1. LUNDQUIST, J. P., VOROBIOV, S., et al., Combined fit of spectrum and composition for FR0 radio- galaxy-emitted ultra-high energy cosmic rays with resulting secondary photons and neutrinos. The Astrophysical journal, ISSN 1538-4357, 2025, v. 978, no. 1, 20, 1-20.
[COBISS.SI-ID 221024771].
2. ABREU, P., VOROBIOV, Serguei, et al., Pierre Auger Collaboration, Search for photons above
1019 eV with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Journal of cosmology and astroparticle physics, May 2023, vol. 2023, no. 5, 021, pp. 1-24, ISSN 1475-7516,
[COBISS.SI-ID 161596675].

1. MERTEN, L., VOROBIOV, S., et al., Scrutinizing FR 0 radio galaxies as ultra-high-energy cosmic ray source candidates. Astroparticle Physics, ISSN 0927-6505, 2021, v. 128, 1-22. [COBISS.SI-ID
   50457091].
2. AAB, A., VOROBIOV, Serguei, et al., Pierre Auger Collaboration. Observation of a large-scale anisotropy in the arrival directions of cosmic rays above 8×1018 eV. Science, ISSN 0036-
   8075, sep. 2017, vol. 357, iss. 6357, pp. 1266-1270, [COBISS.SI-ID 4921595].
3. SCHWANKE, U., VOROBIOV, Serguei, et al., A versatile digital camera trigger for telescope in the Cherenkov Telescope Array. Nuclear instruments and methods in physics research. Section A, ISSN 0168- 9002, 2015, vol. 782, pp. 92-103, [COBISS.SI-ID 3758075].