The MIDAS experiment: A prototype for the microwave emission of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays

TL;DR

The MIDAS experiment demonstrates a prototype microwave detector for ultra-high energy cosmic rays, aiming for continuous, calorimetric-like air shower detection through microwave emissions caused by atmospheric plasma interactions.

Contribution

This work introduces the MIDAS prototype, a novel microwave detection system for UHECRs, enabling isotropic, high-duty-cycle observations of air showers.

Findings

Prototype successfully detects microwave signals from air showers.

Microwave detection offers 100% duty cycle potential.

First results validate the feasibility of microwave UHECR detection.

Abstract

Recent measurements suggest that extensive air showers initiated by ultra-high energy cosmic rays (UHECR) emit signals in the microwave band of the electromagnetic spectrum caused by the collisions of the free-electrons with the atmospheric neutral molecules in the plasma produced by the passage of the shower. Such emission is isotropic and could allow the detection of air showers with 100% duty cycle and a calorimetric-like energy measurement, a significant improvement over current detection techniques. We have built MIDAS (MIcrowave Detection of Air Showers), a prototype of microwave detector, which consists of a 4.5 m diameter antenna with a cluster of 53 feed-horns in the 4 GHz range. The details of the prototype and first results will be presented.