We present the results of an ongoing survey on the association between the muon flux variation at ground level (3 m above sea level) registered by the Tupi telescopes (Niteri-Brazil, 22.°9S, 43.°2W, 3 m) and the Earth-directed transient disturbances in the interplanetary medium propagating from the Sun (such as coronal mass ejections (CME), and corotating interaction regions (CIRs)). Their location inside the South Atlantic Anomaly region enables the muon telescopes to achieve a low rigidity of response to primary and secondary charged particles. The present study is primarily based on experimental events obtained by the Tupi telescopes in the period from 2010 August to 2011 December. This time period corresponds to the rising phase of solar cycle 24. The Tupi events are studied in correlation with data obtained by space-borne detectors (SOHO, ACE, GOES). Identification of interplanetary structures and associated solar activity was based on the nomenclature and definitions given by the satellite observations, including an incomplete list of possible interplanetary shocks observed by the CELIAS/MTOF Proton Monitor on the Solar and Heliospheric Observatory (SOHO) spacecraft. Among 29 experimental events reported in the present analysis, there are 15 possibly associated with the CMEs and sheaths, and 3 events with the CIRs (forward or reverse shocks); the origin of the remaining 11 events has not been determined by the satellite detectors. We compare the observed time (delayed or anticipated) of the muon excess (positive or negative) signal on Earth (the Tupi telescopes) with the trigger time of the interplanetary disturbances registered by the satellites located at Lagrange point L1 (SOHO and ACE). The temporal correlation of the observed ground-based events with solar transient events detected by spacecraft suggests a real physical connection between them. We found that the majority of observed events detected by the Tupi experiment were delayed in relation to the satellite triggers. This result agrees with theoretical expectations. Our experimental data indicate that the Tupi experiment is able to add new information and can be complementary to other techniques designed to interpret the origin of some interplanetary disturbances observed by satellites.

We compare data obtained by two secondary cosmic ray detectors with different characteristics, located at Mt Chacaltaya, Bolivia (altitude 5200m) and Niteroi, Brazil (sea level) respectively, separated by a distance of ∼2700km but both inside the so-called South Atlantic Anomaly (SAA) region, with different magnetic rigidities (cut-offs). A preliminary analysis, made on data obtained in September 2008, clearly shows some common characteristics between the two experiments, such as an increase in the intensity of charged particles from 3h after sunrise until 1h after sunset. During this period, the solar magnetic field lines overtake the Earth’s surface. We conclude that in the SAA region and at ground level secondary particles have two origins. The first is from the galactic cosmic rays and the second is from particle precipitation. Other details of these observations, like the relative composition from galactic rays and precipitation, the day/night asymmetry, as well as sunset enhancement, are reported in this paper.

The air fluorescence detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory is designed to perform calorimetric measurements of extensive air showers created by cosmic rays of above 1018eV. To correct these measurements for the effects introduced by atmospheric fluctuations, the Observatory contains a group of monitoring instruments to record atmospheric conditions across the detector site, an area exceeding 3000km2. The atmospheric data are used extensively in the reconstruction of air showers, and are particularly important for the correct determination of shower energies and the depths of shower maxima. This paper contains a summary of the molecular and aerosol conditions measured at the Pierre Auger Observatory since the start of regular operations in 2004, and includes a discussion of the impact of these measurements on air shower reconstructions. Between 1018 and 1020eV, the systematic uncertainties due to all atmospheric effects increase from 4% to 8% in measurements of shower energy, and 4gcm-2 to 8gcm-2 in measurements of the shower maximum.

Atmospheric parameters, such as pressure (P), temperature (T) and density (ρ∝P/T), affect the development of extensive air showers initiated by energetic cosmic rays. We have studied the impact of atmospheric variations on extensive air showers by means of the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The rate of events shows a ∼10% seasonal modulation and ∼2% diurnal one. We find that the observed behaviour is explained by a model including the effects associated with the variations of P and ρ. The former affects the longitudinal development of air showers while the latter influences the Molière radius and hence the lateral distribution of the shower particles. The model is validated with full simulations of extensive air showers using atmospheric profiles measured at the site of the Pierre Auger Observatory.

Studies of the correlations of ultra-high energy cosmic ray directions with extra-Galactic objects, of general anisotropy, of photons and neutrinos, and of other astrophysical effects, with the Pierre Auger Observatory. Contributions to the 31st ICRC, Lodz, Poland, July 2009.

In order to characterise the behaviour of Water Cherenkov Detectors (WCD) under a sudden increase of 1 GeV - 1 TeV background photons from a Gamma Ray Burst (GRB), simulations were conducted and compared to data acquired by the WCD of the Large Aperture GRB Observatory (LAGO). The LAGO operates arrays of WCD at high altitude to detect GRBs using the single particle technique. The LAGO sensitivity to GRBs is derived from the reported simulations of the gamma initiated particle showers in the atmosphere and the WCD response to secondaries.

Data collected at the Pierre Auger Observatory are used to establish an upper limit on the diffuse flux of tau neutrinos in the cosmic radiation. Earth-skimming nu(tau) may interact in the Earth's crust and produce a tau lepton by means of charged-current interactions. The tau lepton may emerge from the Earth and decay in the atmosphere to produce a nearly horizontal shower with a typical signature, a persistent electromagnetic component even at very large atmospheric depths. The search procedure to select events induced by tau decays against the background of normal showers induced by cosmic rays is described. The method used to compute the exposure for a detector continuously growing with time is detailed. Systematic uncertainties in the exposure from the detector, the analysis, and the involved physics are discussed. No tau neutrino candidates have been found. For neutrinos in the energy range 2x10(17) eV <E(nu)<2x10(19) eV, assuming a diffuse spectrum of the form E(nu)(-2), data collected between 1 January 2004 and 30 April 2008 yield a 90% confidence-level upper limit of E(nu)(2)dN(nu tau)/dE(nu)<9x10(-8) GeV cm(-2) s(-1) sr(-1).

Studies of the composition of the highest energy cosmic rays with the Pierre Auger Observatory, including examination of hadronic physics effects on the structure of extensive air showers. Submissions to the 31st ICRC, Lodz, Poland (July 2009).

Cosmic ray composition is very important to clarify the origin of cosmic rays. In particular, the composition in the energy region at and beyond the knee is of special interest, because it must be closely related to sites of cosmic ray productions and mechanisms of particle accelerations. In the BASJE (Bolivian Air Shower Joint Experiment) group, we constructed a new air shower array at Mount Chacaltaya (5,200m above the sea level) to observe cosmic rays with energies greater than 10 eV. Moreover, we have designed Cherenkov light detectors operated together with the air shower array. It is known that the longitudinal development of a particle cascade in the atmosphere strongly depends on the type of the primary nucleus, and an air shower initiated by a heavier nucleus develop faster than that by a lighter primary. It has also been pointed out that the longitudinal development of an air shower can be measured by detecting Cherenkov light emitted from electrons in the shower. We carried out a Monte-Carlo studies of air showers and found that primary cosmic ray nuclei types can be distinguished by measuring lateral distributions and arrival timings (waveforms) of Cherenkov lights associated with air showers. In our experiment, we install ∼ 18 Cherenkov light detectors in the air shower array and will carry out a hybrid experiment to observe air showers by determining directions and primary energies of cosmic rays from air shower array data, and identifying primary particle type from Cherenkov light detector data.

Reports on the atmospheric monitoring, calibration, and other operating systems of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Contributions to the 31st International Cosmic Ray Conference, Lodz, Poland, July 2009.

Water Cherenkov Detectors (WCD) are efficient detectors for detecting GRBs in the 10 GeV - 1 TeV energy range using the single particle technique, given their sensitivity to low energy secondary photons produced by high energy photons when cascading in the atmosphere. The Large Aperture GRB Observatory (LAGO) operates arrays of WCD in high altitude sites (above 4500 m a.s.l.) in Bolivia, Mexico and Venezuela, with planned extension to Peru. Details on the operation and stability of these WCD in remote sites with high background rates of particles will be detailed, and compared to simulations. Specific issues due to operation at high altitude, atmospheric effects and solar activity, as well as possible hardware enhancements will also be presented.

Relativistic neutrons were observed by the neutron monitors at Mt. Chacaltaya and Mexico City and by the solar neutron telescopes at Chacaltaya and Mt. Sierra Negra in association with an X17.0 flare on 2005 September 7. The neutron signal continued for more than 20min with high statistical significance. Intense emissions of γ-rays were also registered by INTEGRAL, and during the decay phase by RHESSI. We analyzed these data using the solar-flare magnetic-loop transport and interaction model of Hua et al. [Hua, X.-M., Kozlovsky, B., Lingenfelter, R.E. et al. Angular and energy-dependent neutron emission from solar flare magnetic loops, Astrophys. J. Suppl. Ser. 140, 563–579, 2002], and found that the model could successfully fit the data with intermediate values of loop magnetic convergence and pitch-angle scattering parameters. These results indicate that solar neutrons were produced at the same time as the γ-ray line emission and that ions were continuously accelerated at the emission site.

We describe the Neutron Spectrometer Experiment installed at Chacaltaya Cosmic Rays Observatory (68 degrees O, 16.2 degrees S), located in Bolivia, at 5230 m.a.s.l. This experimental system is constituted by passive detectors which register the flux of neutrons, in an energy range of 10KeV-20MeV. Using the unfolding code BUNTO a peak around 1 MeV of the characteristic spectrum of neutrons was obtained. Experimental values, observed during April of 2008, are compared with similar ones carried out in 1997 at the same place, in order to look for eventual changes due to local atmosphere. A similar experiment was also carried up at the Laboratory of Testa Grigia-Italy (45.56 degrees N, 7.42 degrees E,. 3480 m.a.l.s). Data of both stations allow us to compare the spectra in order to explain the difference of neutron flux of these two stations.

Data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory provide evidence for anisotropy in the arrival directions of the cosmic rays with the highest energies, which are correlated with the positions of relatively nearby active galactic nuclei (AGN) \cite{science}. The correlation has maximum significance for cosmic rays with energy greater than ~ 6x10^{19}$ eV and AGN at a distance less than ~ 75 Mpc. We have confirmed the anisotropy at a confidence level of more than 99% through a test with parameters specified {\em a priori}, using an independent data set. The observed correlation is compatible with the hypothesis that cosmic rays with the highest energies originate from extra-galactic sources close enough so that their flux is not significantly attenuated by interaction with the cosmic background radiation (the Greisen-Zatsepin-Kuz'min effect). The angular scale of the correlation observed is a few degrees, which suggests a predominantly light composition unless the magnetic fields are very weak outside the thin disk of our galaxy. Our present data do not identify AGN as the sources of cosmic rays unambiguously, and other candidate sources which are distributed as nearby AGN are not ruled out. We discuss the prospect of unequivocal identification of individual sources of the highest-energy cosmic rays within a few years of continued operation of the Pierre Auger Observatory.

The SLIM experiment at the Chacaltaya high altitude laboratory was sensitive to nuclearites and Q-balls which could be present in the cosmic radiation as possible Dark Matter components. It was sensitive also to strangelets, i.e. small lumps of Strange Quark Matter predicted at such altitudes by various phenomenological models. The analysis of 427 m2 of Nuclear Track Detectors exposed for 4.22 years showed no candidate event. New upper limits on the flux of downgoing nuclearites and Q-balls at the 90% C.L. were established. The null result also restricts models for strangelets propagation through the Earth atmosphere.

The SLIM experiment was a large array of nuclear track detectors located at the Chacaltaya high altitude Laboratory (5230 m a.s.l.). The detector was in particular sensitive to intermediate mass magnetic monopoles, with masses 105 GeV <MM< 1012 GeV. From the analysis of the full detector exposed for more than 4 years a flux upper limit of 1.3×10-15 cm-2 s-1 sr-1 for downgoing fast intermediate mass monopoles was established at the 90% C.L.

During the analysis of the CR39 Nuclear Track Detectors (NTDs) of the SLIM experiment exposed at the high altitude lab of Chacaltaya (Bolivia) we observed a sequence of puzzling etch-pits. We made a detailed investigation of all the CR39 and Makrofol detectors in the same stack and in all the stacks around the candidate event. We found a second puzzling sequence of etch-pits (plus some single etch-pits). The analysis of this configuration was important because we were searching for rare particles (Magnetic Monopoles, Nuclearites, Q-balls) in the cosmic radiation. Thus we analyzed in detail the evolution with increasing etching time of the etch-pits. We concluded that the two sequences of the etch-pits (and some other background etch-pits) may have originated from a rare manufacture malfunctioning which involved 1 m^2 of produced CR39.

A method is developed to search for air showers initiated by photons using data recorded by the surface detector of the Auger Observatory. The approach is based on observables sensitive to the longitudinal shower development, the signal risetime and the curvature of the shower front. Applying this method to the data, upper limits on the flux of photons of 3.8*10^-3, 2.5*10^-3, and 2.2*10^-3 km^-2 sr^-1 yr^-1 above 10^19 eV, 2*10^19 eV, and 4*10^19 eV are derived, with corresponding limits on the fraction of photons being 2.0%, 5.1%, and 31% (all limits at 95% c.l.). These photon limits disfavor certain exotic models of sources of cosmic rays. The results also show that the approach adopted by the Auger Observatory to calibrate the shower energy is not strongly biased by a contamination from photons.