UHECR 2014 1

The First Flight of EUSO Balloona prototype of JEM-EUSO

Jim Adamsa, Evgeny Kuznetsova, Matthew Rodencala, Jurgen Sawatzkia, Mark Christlb, Lawrence Weinckec and Johannes Eserc for the EUSO Collaboration

aUniversity of Alabama in HuntsvillebNASA Marshall Space Fight CentercColorado School of Mines

10/13-15/2014

UHECR 2014 2

Objectives for the first flight of EUSO-BALLOON:• Test and mature JEM-EUSO

technology• Detect the UV signals from the

helicopter and use them to calibrate EUSO-BALLOON

• Measure the UV background

10/13-15/2014

UHECR 2014 3

EUSO BALLOON Design• Video Camera

very high speed very sensitive

• Focal Surface Photon Detection

Module (PDM) from JEM-EUSO

• IR CameraBispectral 10.8 & 12 μmwaterproof measures the

color-temperature of clouds

10/13-15/2014

UHECR 2014 4

Fresnel Optics• Entrance Aperture: 1 m2

• Field of View: 12• Focal Spot: ~7 mm diameter• Resolution: ~500 m at sea level• Estimated throughput: 50%

10/13-15/2014

UHECR 2014 5

Photon Detection Module

• 36 Multi-anode photomultiplier tubes (MAPMTs)– 64 anodes each

• 2304 pixels, total• Each MAPMT is

covered by a UV filter (300-400 nm)

• Framing time: 2.5s

10/13-15/2014

UHECR 2014 6

Infrared Camera

• Frame Rate: 0.0125 Hz• Bispectral: 10.8 & 12 μm• FoV: 45

10/13-15/2014

The extensive air showers (EASs) from extreme energy cosmic rays extend deep into the troposphere.

An infrared camera is needed to monitor for interference from clouds. This camera will be used to:• Measure cloud cover• Determine cloud top altitudes

With these measurements:• Dead-time can be estimated

UHECR 2014 7

Balloon flight Operations

• Flight: ~5 hours at 38 km altitude• Field of view on the ground: ~250 m2

• Energy threshold: ~5X1017 eVNo cosmic rays expected

• Forced trigger at 20 Hz• Laser used to simulate horizontal EASs• Flashers used to simulate vertical EASs

10/13-15/2014

UHECR 2014 8

Helicopter Under-flight for Calibration

10/13-15/2014

A Bell 212 helicopter carrying a UV flasher and a UV laser was flown under EUSO-BALLOON on a helicopter at an altitude of ~3.2 km for 2.5 hours on August 24/25.

The laser and flashers were fired at 19 Hz.

•

9J. Eser, L. Wiencke

Laser System:Energy 9-16 mJ EAS equivalent ~ 1020 eVPolarization randomizedGPS synchronized

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Laser pulses fired from helicopter while under the balloon

Laser BeamCalibration (pre and post flight)

J. Eser, L. Wiencke

UHECR 2014 11

The Flashers

10/13-15/2014

UV LED

Xenon Lamp Holder with mounted filters

Firing Sequence

• UV LED• Laser• Xenon Flasher

October 1 -10, 2014 JEM-EUSO Workshop - Toulouse 12

UV LED Calibration Characteristics

Projected number of photoelectrons at focal pixel versus control voltage. Calibration curve was measured before and after flight in Canada

October 1 -10, 2014 JEM-EUSO Workshop - Toulouse 13

Calibration of the Xenon Flasher

Projected number of photoelectrons at focal PDM pixel at 4 high voltage settings. Integrated number of photoelectrons over 8 consecutive GTU time frames. Calibration was conducted after the flight in Canada.

UHECR 2014 14

Inside the Helicopter

10/13-15/2014

Flasher Controller

Laser

UHECR 2014 15

Helicopter Operations

10/13-15/2014

Johannes Eser operated the laser and the flasher via a single-board computer he programmed

Matthew Rodencal directed the pilots to fly under the balloon using a balloon tracker system he developed.

UHECR 2014 16

Tracking Beacons on EUSO-BALLOON

10/13-15/2014

Redundant Trackers on EUSO BALLOON

Quarter-wave HAM Antenna on the landing fame at the bottom of EUSO-BALLOON

UHECR 2014 17

Balloon Track (blue)Helicopter Track (Red)

10/13-15/2014

UHECR 2014 18

Helicopter Viewed from the Balloon

10/13-15/2014

Circumscribed CircleInscribed Circle

UHECR 2014 19

Appearance of Ideal Focal Spot

10/13-15/2014

Prepared by Jörg Bayer & Alejandro Guzman

Flasher and Laser Firing Sequence• LED Flasher (70 s)

• Laser – 7 ns pulse (FOV crossing time 25 s)

• Xe Flasher (~50 s)

Video Clip – 320 sCadence – 20 clips/sec

UHECR 2014 20

Video Clip from EUSO BALLOON

10/13-15/2014

UHECR 2014 21

Data Analysis Plans• Use the onboard magnetometer and other data to

find the orientation of EUSO BALLOON – Determine the position of the helicopter image on the

focal surface versus time– Identify flashes from the helicopter– Calibrate EUSO Balloon at many places on the focal

surface• Search the video clips for flashes not from the

helicopter• Measure the ambient background light level during

the flight10/13-15/2014

UHECR 2014 22

Plans for the Next Flight

• Objectives– Detect the first cosmic ray EAS signals from above– Search for EAS-like background flashes

• Instrument Upgrades– Add a cosmic ray self-trigger– Add a third lens for chromatic correction and

improved focus• Possible Flight Operation

– Launch from New Zealand – Land in South America (Southern Patagonia)

10/13-15/2014

UHECR 2014 23

The End

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UHECR 2014 24

Helicopter Track

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UHECR 2014 25

JEM-EUSO MissionObjective: Find the accelerators of the most energetic particles in the universe and discover how they work.• Measure extensive air

showers in the atmosphere

• Reconstruct the energy and arrival direction of each particle.

Very large high-speed and wide-angle video camera to capture video clips of the nitrogen fluorescence in the atmosphere from extensive air showers caused by extreme energy cosmic rays.

10/13-15/2014

Balloon

EUSO-Balloon38 km

Fiel

d of

Vie

w

Timmins CampaignAugust 24/25th 2014 Timmins CN

3 kmLaser

Flasher, LED

V1.0 8/30 2014

Bell 212 Helicopter

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