Science with the Global Cosmic-ray Observatory (GCOS)

TL;DR

The Global Cosmic-ray Observatory (GCOS) aims to significantly advance the study of ultra-high-energy cosmic particles by providing unprecedented accuracy and larger aperture to identify their sources, with operation expected after 2030.

Contribution

This paper introduces the GCOS project, outlining its scientific motivation, current status, preliminary design ideas, and estimated capabilities, marking a major step forward in cosmic-ray research.

Findings

GCOS will have at least ten times the aperture of current observatories.

It aims to characterize ultra-high-energy particles with unprecedented accuracy.

The project is in the preliminary design and planning stage.

Abstract

The Global Cosmic-ray Observatory (GCOS) is a proposed large-scale observatory for studying ultra-high-energy cosmic particles, including ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs), photons, and neutrinos. Its primary goal is to characterise the properties of the highest-energy particles in Nature with unprecedented accuracy, and to identify their elusive sources. With an aperture at least a ten-fold larger than existing observatories, this next-generation facility should start operating after 2030, when present-day detectors will gradually cease their activities. Here we briefly review the scientific case motivating GCOS. We present the status of the project, preliminary ideas for its design, and some estimates of its capabilities.