Recent Findings from the Telescope Array Experiment

TL;DR

The Telescope Array experiment is the largest UHECR observatory in the Northern Hemisphere, employing hybrid detection to study cosmic rays from 10^15 to beyond 10^20 eV, with recent upgrades enhancing data collection and analysis.

Contribution

This paper reports on the current status and recent findings of the Telescope Array experiment, including new results from its recent extensions and upgrades.

Findings

Updated energy spectrum measurements.

New insights into cosmic ray mass composition.

Evidence of anisotropy in cosmic ray arrival directions.

Abstract

The Telescope Array (TA) is the largest ultra-high energy cosmic ray (UHECR) observatory in the Northern Hemisphere. Together with its extensions, TA Low Energy (TALE), TALE infill, and the TA$\times$4 array, it measures extensive air showers (EAS) initiated by UHECRs across an energy range spanning from $10^{15}$ eV to beyond $10^{20}$ eV. All components of the experiment employ a hybrid detection approach, combining plastic scintillator arrays that sample the EAS footprint at ground level with telescopes that record fluorescence and Cherenkov light from shower development in the atmosphere. The ongoing construction of TA$\times$4 will significantly increase statistics at the highest energies by expanding the surface detector area by a factor of four. In addition, the recently deployed TALE infill array further lowers the hybrid energy threshold of TALE. This presentation summarizes the current status of the TA experiment and highlights recent findings on the energy spectrum, mass composition, and anisotropy.