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- Bisconti, F., et al.
(author)
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EUSO-TA ground based fluorescence detector : analysis of the detected events
- 2021
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In: Proceedings of Science. - : Sissa Medialab Srl.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- EUSO-TA is a ground-based florescence detector built to validate the design of an ultra-high energy cosmic ray fluorescence detector to be operated in space. EUSO-TA detected the first air shower events with the technology developed within the JEM-EUSO program. It operates at the Telescope Array (TA) site in Utah, USA. With the external trigger provided by the Black Rock Mesa fluorescence detectors of Telescope Array (TA-FDs), EUSO-TA observed nine ultra-high energy cosmic ray events and several laser events from the Central Laser Facility of Telescope Array and portable lasers like the JEM-EUSO Global Light System prototype. The reconstruction parameters of the cosmic ray events which crossed the EUSO-TA field of view (both detected and not detected by EUSO-TA), were provided by the Telescope Array Collaboration. As the TA-FDs have a wider field of view than EUSO-TA (∼30 times larger), they allow the cosmic ray energy reconstruction based on the observation of most of the extensive air-shower profiles, including the shower maximum, while EUSO-TA only observes a portion of the showers, usually far from the maximum. For this reason, the energy of the cosmic rays corresponding to the EUSO-TA signals appear lower than the actual ones. In this contribution, the analysis of the cosmic-ray events detected with EUSO-TA is discussed.
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- Barrillon, P., et al.
(author)
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The EUSO@TurLab project in the framework of the JEM-EUSO program
- 2023
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In: Experimental astronomy. - : Springer Nature. - 0922-6435 .- 1572-9508. ; 55:2, s. 569-602
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The EUSO@TurLab project aims at performing experiments to reproduce Earth UV emissions as seen from a low Earth orbit by the planned missions of the JEM-EUSO program. It makes use of the TurLab facility, which is a laboratory, equipped with a 5 m diameter and 1 m depth rotating tank, located at the Physics Department of the University of Turin. All the experiments are designed and performed based on simulations of the expected response of the detectors to be flown in space. In April 2016 the TUS detector and more recently in October 2019 the Mini-EUSO experiment, both part of the JEM-EUSO program, have been placed in orbit to map the UV Earth emissions. It is, therefore, now possible to compare the replicas performed at TurLab with the actual images detected in space to understand the level of fidelity in terms of reproduction of the expected signals. We show that the laboratory tests reproduce at the order of magnitude level the measurements from space in terms of spatial extension and time duration of the emitted UV light, as well as the intensity in terms of expected counts per pixel per unit time when atmospheric transient events, diffuse nightlow background light, and artificial light sources are considered. Therefore, TurLab is found to be a very useful facility for testing the acquisition logic of the detectors of the present and future missions of the JEM-EUSO program and beyond in order to reproduce atmospheric signals in the laboratory.
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- Battisti, M., et al.
(author)
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Onboard performance of the level 1 trigger of the mini-EUSO telescope
- 2022
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In: Advances in Space Research. - : Elsevier BV. - 0273-1177 .- 1879-1948. ; 70:9, s. 2750-2766
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- The Mini-EUSO telescope was launched for the International Space Station on August 22nd, 2019 to observe from the ISS orbit (-400 km altitude) various phenomena occurring in the Earth's atmosphere through a UV-transparent window located in the Russian Zvezda Module. Mini-EUSO is based on a set of two Fresnel lenses of 25 cm diameter each and a focal plane of 48x48 pixels, for a total field of view of 44 degrees. Until July 2021, Mini-EUSO performed a total of 41 data acquisition sessions, obtaining UV images of the Earth in the 290 nm - 430 nm band with temporal and spatial resolution on ground of 2.5 ls and 6.3x6.3 km2, respectively. The data acquisition was performed with a 2.5 ls sampling rate, using a dedicated trigger looking for signals with a typical duration of tens of ls.In the present paper the analysis of the performance of the 2.5 ls trigger logic is presented, with a focus on the method used for the analysis and the categories of triggered events. The expected functioning of the trigger logic has been confirmed, with the trigger rate on spurious events that remains within the requirements in nominal background conditions. The trigger logic detected several different phe-nomena, including lightning strikes, elves, ground-based flashers and events with EAS-like characteristics.
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| 7. |
- Bisconti, F., et al.
(author)
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Mini-EUSO engineering model : tests in open-sky condition
- 2021
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In: Proceedings of Science. - : Sissa Medialab Srl.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mini-EUSO is a UV telescope that will look downwards to the Earth's atmosphere onboard the International Space Station. With the design of the ultra-high energy cosmic ray fluorescence detectors belonging to the JEM-EUSO program, it will make the first UV map of the Earth by observing atmospheric phenomena such as transient luminous events, sprites and lightning, as well as meteors and bioluminescence from earth. Diffused light from laser shots from the ground, which mimic the fluorescence light emitted by Nitrogen molecules when extensive air showers pass through the atmosphere, can be used to verify the capability of this kind of detector to observe ultra-high energy cosmic rays. To validate the electronics and the trigger algorithms developed for Mini-EUSO, a scaled down version of the telescope with 1:9 of the original focal surface and a lens of 2.5 cm diameter has been built. Tests of the Mini-EUSO engineering model have been made in laboratory and in open sky condition. In this paper, we report results of observations of the night sky, which include the detection of stars, meteors, a planet and a rocket body reflecting the sunlight. Interesting results of the observation of city lights are also reported.
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- Casolino, M., et al.
(author)
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Mini-EUSO experiment to study UV emission of terrestrial and astrophysical origin onboard of the International Space Station
- 2021
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In: Proceedings of Science. - : Sissa Medialab Srl.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mini-EUSO will observe the Earth in the UV range (300 - 400 nm) offering the opportunity to study a variety of atmospheric events such as Transient Luminous Events (TLEs), meteors and marine bioluminescence. Furthermore it aims to search for Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR) above 1021 eV and Strange Quark Matter (SQM). The detector is expected to be launched to the International Space Station in August 2019 and look at the Earth in nadir mode from the UV-transparent window of the Zvezda module of the International Space Station. The instrument comprises a compact telescope with a large field of view (44◦), based on an optical system employing two Fresnel lenses for light collection. The light is focused onto an array of 36 multi-anode photomultiplier tubes (MAPMT), for a total of 2304 pixels and the resulting signal is converted into digital, processed and stored via the electronics subsystems on-board. In addition to the main detector, Mini-EUSO contains two ancillary cameras[4] for complementary measurements in the near infrared (1500 - 1600 nm) and visible (400 - 780 nm) range and also a 8 × 8 SiPM imaging array.
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- Marcelli, L., et al.
(author)
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Integration, qualification, and launch of the Mini-EUSO telescope on board the ISS
- 2023
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In: Rendiconti Lincei SCIENZE FISICHE E NATURALI. - : Springer Nature. - 2037-4631 .- 1720-0776. ; 34:1, s. 23-35
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Journal article (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mini-EUSO is a high-sensitivity imaging telescope that observes the Earth from the ISS in the near ultraviolet band (290÷ 430 nm), through the nadir-facing, UV-transparent window in the Russian Zvezda module. The instrument, launched in 2019, has a field of view of 44∘, a spatial resolution on the Earth’s surface of 6.3 km and a temporal sampling rate of 2.5 microseconds. Thanks to its triggering and on-board processing, the telescope is capable of detecting UV emissions of cosmic, atmospheric, and terrestrial origin on different time scales, from a few microseconds up to tens of milliseconds. The optics is composed of two Fresnel lenses focusing light onto an array of 36 Hamamatsu Multi-Anode PhotoMultiplier Tubes, for a total of 2304 pixels. The telescope also contains two cameras in the near-infrared and visible, an 8-by-8 array of Silicon-PhotoMultipliers and a series of UV sensors to manage night-day transitions. The scientific objectives range from the observation of atmospheric phenomena [lightning, Transient Luminous Events (TLEs), ELVES], the study of meteoroids, the search of interstellar meteoroids and strange quark matter, mapping of the Earth’s nocturnal emissions in the ultraviolet range, and the search of cosmic rays with energy above 1021 eV. The instrument has been integrated and qualified in 2019, with the final tests in Baikonur prior to its launch. Operations involve periodic installation in the Zvezda module of the station with observations during the crew night time, with periodic downlink of data samples, with the full data being sent to the ground via pouches containing the data disks. Mission planning involves the selection of the optimal orbits to maximize the scientific return of the instrument. In this work, we will describe the various phases of construction, testing, and qualification prior to the launch and the in-flight operations of the instrument on board the ISS.
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| 10. |
- Marcelli, L., et al.
(author)
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The Mini-EUSO telescope on board the ISS: in-flight operations and performances
- 2022
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In: Proceedings International Conference on Technology and Instrumentation in Particle Physics, TIPP 2021. - : IOP Publishing.
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Conference paper (peer-reviewed)abstract
- Mini-EUSO is a high sensitivity imaging telescope that observes the Earth from the ISS in the ultraviolet band (2904÷430 nm), through the UV-transparent window in the Russian Zvezda module. The instrument, launched in 2019 as part of the ESA mission Beyond, has a field of view of 44°, a spatial resolution on the Earth surface of 6.3 km and a temporal resolution of 2.5 microseconds. The telescope detects UV emissions of cosmic, atmospheric and terrestrial origin on different time scales, from a few microseconds upwards. Mini-EUSO main detector optics is composed of two Fresnel lenses focusing light onto an array of 36 Hamamatsu multi-anode photomultiplier tubes, for a total of 2304 pixels. The telescope also contains: two ancillary cameras to complement measurements in the near infrared and visible ranges, an array of Silicon-PhotoMultipliers and UV sensors to manage night-day transitions. In this work we will describe the in-flight operations and performances of the various instruments in the first months after launch.
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