Radio Detector Array Simulation - A Full Simulation Chain for an Array of Antenna Detectors

TL;DR

This paper presents a comprehensive simulation software for antenna arrays detecting radio signals from air showers, enabling design optimization and data analysis, validated by comparison with real measurements at the Pierre Auger Observatory.

Contribution

It introduces a full simulation and reconstruction chain for antenna detector arrays, integrating signal generation, detection, and data visualization, which was not previously available.

Findings

Simulation results agree well with actual measurements

Software allows investigation of array design parameters

Facilitates analysis of radio signals from air showers

Abstract

Recently radio signals originating from extensive air showers have been observed at the Pierre Auger Observatory. In this note we present software to simulate the response of an array of antenna detectors and to reconstruct the radio signals. With this software it is possible to investigate design parameters of an antenna array and to visualize the radio data. We show comparisons between measurements of radio signals from air showers and simulated data which were generated with the REAS2 generator and then processed with the detector simulation and reconstruction software.