Space experiment TUS on board the Lomonosov satellite as pathfinder of JEM-EUSO

Space-based detectors for the study of extreme energy cosmic rays (EECR) are being prepared as a promising new method for detecting highest energy cosmic rays. A pioneering space device – the “tracking ultraviolet set-up” (TUS) – is in the last stage of its construction and testing. The TUS detector will collect preliminary data on EECR in the conditions of a space environment, which will be extremely useful for planning the major JEM-EUSO detector operation.

DOI: 10.1007/s10686-015-9465-y

Ultra high energy cosmic ray detector KLYPVE on board the Russian Segment of the ISS

Modi?ed KLYPVE is a novel ?uorescence detector of ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs, energies ≥50EeV) to be installed on the Russian Segment of the International Space Station. The main goal of the experiment is to register arrival directions and energies of UHECRs but it will be able to register other transient events in the atmosphere as well. The main component of KLYPVE is a segmented two component optical system with a large entrance pupil and a wide ?eld of view, which provides annual exposure approximately twice that of the Pierre Auger Observatory. The project is actively developed by a working group of the JEM-EUSO Collaboration led by Skobeltsyn Institute of Nuclear Physics at Moscow State University (Russia). The current status ofKLYPVE with a focus on its scienti?c tasks, technical parameters and instruments is presented.

The KLYPVE ultrahigh energy cosmic ray detector on board the ISS.

The current status of the KLYPVE orbital detector of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays, which is scheduled to be deployed on board the Russian module of the International Space Station, is discussed. The main focus is on describing possible optical systems for the instrument.

The current status of orbital experiments for UHECR studies

Two types of orbital detectors of extreme energy cosmic rays are being developed nowadays: (i) TUS and KLYPVE with reflecting optical systems (mirrors) and (ii) JEM-EUSO with high- transmittance Fresnel lenses. They will cover much larger areas than existing ground-based arrays and almost uniformly monitor the celestial sphere. The TUS detector is the pioneering mission developed in SINP MSU in cooperation with several Russian and foreign institutions. It has relatively small field of view (±4.5°), which corresponds to a ground area of 6.4•10³ km² . The telescope consists of a Fresnel-type mirror-concentrator (∼ 2 m² ) and a photo receiver (a matrix of 16 x 16 photomultiplier tubes). It is to be deployed on the Lomonosov satellite, and is currently at the final stage of preflight tests. Recently, SINP MSU began the KLYPVE project to be installed on board of the Russian segment of the ISS. The optical system of this detector contains a larger primary mirror (10 m 2 ), which allows decreasing the energy threshold. The total effective field of view will be at least ±14° to exceed the annual exposure of the existing ground-based experiments. Several configurations of the detector are being currently considered. Finally, JEM-EUSO is a wide field of view (±30°) detector. The optics is composed of two curved double-sided Fresnel lenses with 2.65 m external diameter, a precision diffractive middle lens and a pupil. The ultraviolet photons are focused onto the focal surface, which consists of nearly 5000 multi-anode photomultipliers. It is developed by a large international collaboration. All three orbital detectors have multi-purpose character due to continuous monitoring of various atmospheric phenomena. The present status of development of the TUS and KLYPVE missions is reported, and a brief comparison of the projects with JEM-EUSO is given. [http://iopscience.iop.org/article]