宇宙射線及宇宙微中子之無線電波探測研究:臺灣天文粒子地磁同步輻射觀測站及南極脈衝瞬態天線

Abstract

極高能宇宙射線及宇宙微中子的研究已行之有年,而近年來關於無線電波波段的探測方法逐漸地被開發、討論。 南極脈衝瞬態天線 (ANtarctic Impulse Transient Antenna,簡稱 ANITA) 是南極的熱氣球實驗,ANITA 能偵測到宇宙微中子在冰層中因阿斯卡瑞安效應所放出來的訊號,此外,在冰層的反射之下,ANITA 也能觀測宇宙射線大氣簇射所發出的電磁波。從過去兩次飛行中獲得豐碩的成果之後,2014 至 2015 年間進行了第三次的飛行。本論文針對行 ANITA - III 所搭載的資料儲存系統進行研究,設計出一導熱、電磁屏蔽皆良好的資料儲存系統,是當時 NASA 熱氣球計畫中容量最高的設備。 臺灣天文粒子地磁同步輻射觀測站 (Taiwan Astroparticle Radio Observatory of Geosynchrotron Emission,簡稱 TAROGE) 同樣探測無線電波。TAROGE 位於臺灣花蓮的山上,以 12 支水平指向太平洋的天線來探索大天頂角的宇宙射線及宇宙微中子。以宇宙射線大氣簇射與地磁作用所引發出來的電磁波而言,由於臺灣東部山脈緊貼著海岸,除了直接接收到的訊號以外,也可能偵測到海面反射後的訊號,TAROGE 也有能力觀測掠過地球的微中子 (Earth-Skimming Neutrino) 訊號。本論文就 TAROGE 的條件進行模擬,探討坦討此系統探測宇宙射線的的可行性。 本論文也包含了 TAROGE-2 的電源系統研究。一般而言,在背景雜訊微弱的地方不容易有現存的電力來源,本論文就天線站的需求設計出太陽能電力系統,除了電磁屏蔽之外,如何分配電力、電源控制等也是設計的方向。

The detection of the ultra high energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) and the cosmic neutrinos has been studied for ages. In the past decades, the use of radio frequency waves (RF) to detect UHE cosmic rays an neutrinos has advanced significantly. ANtarctic Impulse Transient Antenna (ANITA) is a balloon-borne observatory. It searches for the RF emissions induced by the Askaryan effect when cosmic neutrinos interact with the ice and the ice-reflected signals emitted from the air showers induced by UHECRs. With the enormous harvest from its two flights, ANITA took the third flight in 2014-2015. This thesis presents the study of the ANITA-III storage system. The design principle was the heat dissipation and the RF shielding. The ANITA-III storage system was the largest-storage device in NASA balloon-borne telescope. Taiwan Astroparticle Radio Observatory of Geosynchrotron Emissiom (TAROGE) is also an RF-based detector. TAROGE is located on a coastal mountain-top in Hua-Lian and its 12 antennas are horizontally pointing toward the Pacific Ocean. It can detect not only the direct signals but also the reflected signals emitted from the air showers induced by the CRs. In addition, the Earth-skimming neutrinos are also detectable for TAROGE.This thesis presents the simulation result of the cosmic rays events. This thesis also includes the studies of the TAROGE-2 power system. There is usually no existing power supply system in a RF-quiet location. We built the solar power supply system and the power control system for TAROGE-2.