Simulations and analysis for the detection of cosmic rays at the CONDOR Observatory

Abstract

Thedetection of high-energy particles is critical for advancing our understanding of the universe and its phenomena. This thesis aims to optimize the forthcoming advancements and detections of the CONDOR Observatory currently under construction by conducting detailed simulations of gamma rays interacting with the Earth’s atmosphere, generating extensive air showers that provide a comprehensive description of potential future detections at CONDOR. In this study, various versions of the CORSIKA simulation software were utilized to validate the use of the specific version employed in this thesis. A primary gamma and cosmic ray with an incident energy of 105 GeV, a target detection range for the observatory, was simulated. The resulting data allowed for the graphical representation and analysis of the behavior of various particles of interest, including electrons, photons, and charged particles in general. It was observed that the particles reaching the detector are the least energetic, as the more energetic ones are produced closer to the initial primary particle-atmosphere interactions. Simulations were also performed for gamma rays incident at different zenith angles, illustrat ing a decrease in both the quantity and energy of the particles as the zenith angle increased. The resulting plots and thorough analysis confirmed that the proposed 133×112 meter area for the detector array is valid and sufficient for detecting the most important particles under study. The findings of this research lay a solid foundation for future work incorporating Machine Learning techniques, which hold the potential to significantly advance modern science and particle detection capabilities