Author/Authors :
Alvarez-Mu?iz، نويسنده , , J. and Amaral Soares، نويسنده , , E. and Berlin، نويسنده , , I. V. Orynyak and A. V. Bogdan ، نويسنده , , M. and Bohacova، نويسنده , , M. and Bonifazi، نويسنده , , C. and Carvalho Jr.، نويسنده , , W.R. and de Mello Neto، نويسنده , , J.R.T. and Facal San Luis، نويسنده , , P. and Genat، نويسنده , , J.F. and Hollon، نويسنده , , N. J. Mills، نويسنده , , E. and Monasor، نويسنده , , M. and Privitera، نويسنده , , P. and Ramos de Castro، نويسنده , , A. and Reyes، نويسنده , , L.C. and Richardson، نويسنده , , M. and Rouille dʹOrfeuil، نويسنده , , B. and Santos، نويسنده , , E.M. and Wayne، نويسنده , , S. and Williams، نويسنده , , C. and Zas، نويسنده , , E. and Zhou، نويسنده , , J.، نويسنده ,
Abstract :
We present the design, implementation and data taking performance of the MIcrowave Detection of Air Showers (MIDAS) experiment, a large field of view imaging telescope designed to detect microwave radiation from extensive air showers induced by ultra-high energy cosmic rays. This novel technique may bring a tenfold increase in detector duty cycle when compared to the standard fluorescence technique based on detection of ultraviolet photons. The MIDAS telescope consists of a 4.5 m diameter dish with a 53-pixel receiver camera, instrumented with feed horns operating in the commercial extended C-Band (3.4–4.2 GHz). A self-trigger capability is implemented in the digital electronics. The main objectives of this first prototype of the MIDAS telescope – to validate the telescope design, and to demonstrate a large detector duty cycle – were successfully accomplished in a dedicated data taking run at the University of Chicago campus prior to installation at the Pierre Auger Observatory.
