Search for Coincidences in Time and Arrival Direction of Auger Data with Astrophysical Transients

TL;DR

This study searches for correlations between high-energy cosmic rays detected by the Pierre Auger Observatory and astrophysical transient events, especially gamma-ray flares, to identify potential sources of cosmic rays.

Contribution

It introduces a method to analyze Auger data for coincidences with astrophysical transients, focusing on gamma-ray observations from NASA's Swift mission.

Findings

No significant coincidences found with the giant flare from SGR 1806-20.

Established constraints on the association between cosmic rays and specific astrophysical transients.

Methodology for future searches of cosmic ray-transient correlations.

Abstract

The data collected by the Pierre Auger Observatory are analyzed to search for coincidences between the arrival directions of high-energy cosmic rays and the positions in the sky of astrophysical transients. Special attention is directed towards gamma ray observations recorded by NASA's Swift mission, which have an angular resolution similar to that of the Auger surface detectors. In particular, we check our data for evidence of a signal associated with the giant flare that came from the soft gamma repeater 1806-20 on December 27, 2004.