Simulation of the Isotropic Ultra-High Energy Photon Flux in the Solar Magnetic Field
Both the lack of observation of ultra-high energy (UHE) photons and the limitations of the state-of-the-art methodology being applied for their identification motivate studies on alternative approaches to the relevant simulations and the related observational strategies. One such new approach is pro...
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MDPI AG
2022-09-01
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| Series: | Universe |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/8/10/498 |
| _version_ | 1797469730658844672 |
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| author | Bożena Poncyljusz Tomasz Bulik Niraj Dhital Oleksandr Sushchov Sławomir Stuglik Piotr Homola David Alvarez-Castillo Marcin Piekarczyk Tadeusz Wibig Jaroslaw Stasielak Péter Kovács Katarzyna Smelcerz Maria Dolores Rodriguez Frias Michał Niedźwiecki Justyna Miszczyk Tomasz Sośnicki Łukasz Bibrzycki Arman Tursunov Luis Del Peral Krzysztof Rzecki |
| author_facet | Bożena Poncyljusz Tomasz Bulik Niraj Dhital Oleksandr Sushchov Sławomir Stuglik Piotr Homola David Alvarez-Castillo Marcin Piekarczyk Tadeusz Wibig Jaroslaw Stasielak Péter Kovács Katarzyna Smelcerz Maria Dolores Rodriguez Frias Michał Niedźwiecki Justyna Miszczyk Tomasz Sośnicki Łukasz Bibrzycki Arman Tursunov Luis Del Peral Krzysztof Rzecki |
| author_sort | Bożena Poncyljusz |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Both the lack of observation of ultra-high energy (UHE) photons and the limitations of the state-of-the-art methodology being applied for their identification motivate studies on alternative approaches to the relevant simulations and the related observational strategies. One such new approach is proposed in this report and it concerns new observables allowing indirect identification of UHE photons through cosmic ray phenomena composed of many spatially correlated extensive air showers or primary cosmic rays observed at one time. The study is based on simulations of interactions of UHE photons with the magnetic field of the Sun using the PRESHOWER program with some essential modifications. One of the expected results of such interactions is a generation of cosmic ray ensembles (CREs) in the form of very thin and very elongated cascades of secondary photons of energies spanning the whole cosmic ray energy spectrum. Upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere, these cascades or their parts may generate uniquely characteristic walls of spatially correlated extensive air showers, and the effect is expected also in cases when primary UHE photons are not directed towards the Earth. Particle distributions in these multi-primary UHE photon footprints are expected to have thicknesses of the order of meters and elongations reaching even hundreds of millions of kilometers, making them potentially observable with a global, multi-experiment approach, including re-exploring of the historical data, with the expected event rate exceeding the capabilities of even very large cosmic ray observatories. In this report, we introduce for the first time the methods allowing for simulating the isotropic flux of UHE photons in the Sun’s vicinity. Presented methods were verified and optimised in such a way that they would successfully model the cumulative spatial distribution of secondary photons at the top of the atmosphere. The preliminary results of simulations for the UHE photon flux of energy 100 EeV demonstrate the possibility of simulating potentially observable quantities related to CRE induced by UHE photons: densities, energy spectra and geographical orientations of secondary particles at the top of the Earth’s atmosphere. A measurement of at least one of these quantities would be equivalent to a confirmation of the existence of UHE photons, which would give an insight into fundamental physics processes at unprecedentedly high energies, far beyond the reach of man-made accelerators. On the other hand, a lack of such an observation would allow for further constraining of these fundamental processes with the physically new upper limits on UHE photon fluxes after careful analysis of the technical observation ability. The novel advantage of such an approach would lay in the purely electrodynamical character of the underlying simulations which are fully independent on extrapolations of hadronic interaction models by many orders of magnitude. Such extrapolations are necessary in the UHE photon identification methods based on the analyses of properties of individual extensive air showers presently used to determine the UHE photon upper limits. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:25:17Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-d1b3f4d2602c4df199072d004003ee96 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2218-1997 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-09T19:25:17Z |
| publishDate | 2022-09-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Universe |
| spelling | doaj.art-d1b3f4d2602c4df199072d004003ee962023-11-24T03:01:16ZengMDPI AGUniverse2218-19972022-09-0181049810.3390/universe8100498Simulation of the Isotropic Ultra-High Energy Photon Flux in the Solar Magnetic FieldBożena Poncyljusz0Tomasz Bulik1Niraj Dhital2Oleksandr Sushchov3Sławomir Stuglik4Piotr Homola5David Alvarez-Castillo6Marcin Piekarczyk7Tadeusz Wibig8Jaroslaw Stasielak9Péter Kovács10Katarzyna Smelcerz11Maria Dolores Rodriguez Frias12Michał Niedźwiecki13Justyna Miszczyk14Tomasz Sośnicki15Łukasz Bibrzycki16Arman Tursunov17Luis Del Peral18Krzysztof Rzecki19Faculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, 02-093 Warsaw, PolandFaculty of Physics, University of Warsaw, 02-093 Warsaw, PolandCentral Department of Physics, Tribhuvan University, Kirtipur 44613, NepalDepartment of Cosmic Ray Research, Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Walerego Eljasza Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków, PolandDepartment of Cosmic Ray Research, Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Walerego Eljasza Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków, PolandDepartment of Cosmic Ray Research, Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Walerego Eljasza Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków, PolandDepartment of Cosmic Ray Research, Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Walerego Eljasza Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków, PolandInstitute of Computer Science, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Kraków, PolandFaculty of Physics and Applied Informatics, University of Lodz, Pomorska 149/153, 90-236 Lodz, PolandDepartment of Cosmic Ray Research, Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Walerego Eljasza Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków, PolandWigner Research Centre for Physics, Konkoly-Thege Miklós út 29-33, H-1121 Budapest, HungaryFaculty of Computer Science and Telecommunications, Cracow University of Technology, Warszawska 24, 31-155 Kraków, PolandDepartment of Physics and Mathematics, University of Alcalá, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona, Km. 33, 7, E-28871 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Computer Science, Cracow University of Technology, ul. Warszawska 24, 31-155 Kraków, PolandDepartment of Cosmic Ray Research, Institute of Nuclear Physics Polish Academy of Sciences, Walerego Eljasza Radzikowskiego 152, 31-342 Kraków, PolandDepartment of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, AGH University of Science and Technology, 30 Mickiewicza Ave., 30-059 Kraków, PolandInstitute of Computer Science, Pedagogical University of Krakow, Podchorążych 2, 30-084 Kraków, PolandInstitute of Physics, Silesian University in Opava, Bezručovo nám 13, CZ-74601 Opava, Czech RepublicDepartment of Physics and Mathematics, University of Alcalá, Ctra. Madrid-Barcelona, Km. 33, 7, E-28871 Madrid, SpainDepartment of Biocybernetics and Biomedical Engineering, AGH University of Science and Technology, 30 Mickiewicza Ave., 30-059 Kraków, PolandBoth the lack of observation of ultra-high energy (UHE) photons and the limitations of the state-of-the-art methodology being applied for their identification motivate studies on alternative approaches to the relevant simulations and the related observational strategies. One such new approach is proposed in this report and it concerns new observables allowing indirect identification of UHE photons through cosmic ray phenomena composed of many spatially correlated extensive air showers or primary cosmic rays observed at one time. The study is based on simulations of interactions of UHE photons with the magnetic field of the Sun using the PRESHOWER program with some essential modifications. One of the expected results of such interactions is a generation of cosmic ray ensembles (CREs) in the form of very thin and very elongated cascades of secondary photons of energies spanning the whole cosmic ray energy spectrum. Upon entering the Earth’s atmosphere, these cascades or their parts may generate uniquely characteristic walls of spatially correlated extensive air showers, and the effect is expected also in cases when primary UHE photons are not directed towards the Earth. Particle distributions in these multi-primary UHE photon footprints are expected to have thicknesses of the order of meters and elongations reaching even hundreds of millions of kilometers, making them potentially observable with a global, multi-experiment approach, including re-exploring of the historical data, with the expected event rate exceeding the capabilities of even very large cosmic ray observatories. In this report, we introduce for the first time the methods allowing for simulating the isotropic flux of UHE photons in the Sun’s vicinity. Presented methods were verified and optimised in such a way that they would successfully model the cumulative spatial distribution of secondary photons at the top of the atmosphere. The preliminary results of simulations for the UHE photon flux of energy 100 EeV demonstrate the possibility of simulating potentially observable quantities related to CRE induced by UHE photons: densities, energy spectra and geographical orientations of secondary particles at the top of the Earth’s atmosphere. A measurement of at least one of these quantities would be equivalent to a confirmation of the existence of UHE photons, which would give an insight into fundamental physics processes at unprecedentedly high energies, far beyond the reach of man-made accelerators. On the other hand, a lack of such an observation would allow for further constraining of these fundamental processes with the physically new upper limits on UHE photon fluxes after careful analysis of the technical observation ability. The novel advantage of such an approach would lay in the purely electrodynamical character of the underlying simulations which are fully independent on extrapolations of hadronic interaction models by many orders of magnitude. Such extrapolations are necessary in the UHE photon identification methods based on the analyses of properties of individual extensive air showers presently used to determine the UHE photon upper limits.https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/8/10/498cosmic raysultra-high energy photonscosmic ray ensembles |
| spellingShingle | Bożena Poncyljusz Tomasz Bulik Niraj Dhital Oleksandr Sushchov Sławomir Stuglik Piotr Homola David Alvarez-Castillo Marcin Piekarczyk Tadeusz Wibig Jaroslaw Stasielak Péter Kovács Katarzyna Smelcerz Maria Dolores Rodriguez Frias Michał Niedźwiecki Justyna Miszczyk Tomasz Sośnicki Łukasz Bibrzycki Arman Tursunov Luis Del Peral Krzysztof Rzecki Simulation of the Isotropic Ultra-High Energy Photon Flux in the Solar Magnetic Field Universe cosmic rays ultra-high energy photons cosmic ray ensembles |
| title | Simulation of the Isotropic Ultra-High Energy Photon Flux in the Solar Magnetic Field |
| title_full | Simulation of the Isotropic Ultra-High Energy Photon Flux in the Solar Magnetic Field |
| title_fullStr | Simulation of the Isotropic Ultra-High Energy Photon Flux in the Solar Magnetic Field |
| title_full_unstemmed | Simulation of the Isotropic Ultra-High Energy Photon Flux in the Solar Magnetic Field |
| title_short | Simulation of the Isotropic Ultra-High Energy Photon Flux in the Solar Magnetic Field |
| title_sort | simulation of the isotropic ultra high energy photon flux in the solar magnetic field |
| topic | cosmic rays ultra-high energy photons cosmic ray ensembles |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2218-1997/8/10/498 |
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