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Calibration Analysis of SuperTIGER Flight Data for Galactic Cosmic-Ray Spectra for Z=10-30 at 0.8-10 GeV/nuc

ORAL

Abstract

SuperTIGER (Trans-Iron Galactic Element Recorder) is a large-area, balloon-borne cosmic-ray experiment designed to measure the galactic cosmic-ray abundances of elements from Z=10 (Ne) to Z=56 (Ba) at ~0.8 GeV/nuc to ~10 GeV/nuc, which flew over Antarctica for 55 days in 2012-2013 and for 32 days in 2019-2020. SuperTIGER is composed hodoscopes to measure particle trajectories, scintillators for charge, and aerogel and acrylic Cherenkov detectors to measure charge and velocity. The primary goal of SuperTIGER is to measure ultra-heavy elements above Z=30 to test models of galactic cosmic ray origins.The SuperTIGER data analysis requires measurements of abundant elements at Z<30 for precise charge calibration to extend up to the ultra-heavy elements. We will present details of the aerogel and acrylic Cherenkov calibrations for calculating energies for Z<30, including effective photoelectron resolution, knock-on electron contributions, and other background signals in the Cherenkov detectors. We will present a response-matrix approach to correcting for photoelectron smearing in the Cherenkov detectors. We will also describe refined instrumental corrections needed to calculate element spectra at the top of the instrument and the top of the atmosphere, including particle interaction and loss corrections.

Presenters

  • Allan W Labrador

    California Institute of Technology

Authors

  • Allan W Labrador

    California Institute of Technology

  • Scott Nutter

    Northern Kentucky University