The simulated performance of GRANDProto300

TL;DR

This paper presents simulation-based performance analysis of GRANDProto300, a 300-antenna array designed to detect radio signals from high-energy cosmic ray air showers, optimizing layout and reconstruction methods.

Contribution

It introduces a simulation framework for optimizing GRANDProto300's layout and demonstrates its expected detection performance for cosmic rays.

Findings

Effective area for cosmic-ray detection quantified.

Angular resolution characterized.

Energy resolution evaluated.

Abstract

GRANDProto300 is a 300-antenna prototype array of the envisioned GRAND (Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection) project. The goal of GRANDProto300 is to detect radio signals emitted by cosmic ray-induced air showers, with energies ranging from $10^{16.5}$~eV to $10^{18.5}$~eV, which covers the transition region between Galactic and extragalactic sources. We use simulations to optimize the layout of GRANDProto300 and develop a shower reconstruction method. Based on them, we present the performance of GRANDProto300 for cosmic-ray detection, by means of its effective area, angular resolution, and energy resolution.