Advancements in Detecting Extensive Air Showers with GRAND

The Giant Radio Array for Neutrino Detection (GRAND) is advancing its capabilities to detect highly inclined extensive air showers (EAS) through a new reconstruction pipeline. This initiative aims to accurately determine the incoming direction, core position, primary energy, and composition of these showers, which are critical for understanding cosmic phenomena.

The reconstruction methods are being developed by various working groups within the GRAND collaboration. A key aspect of this work involves modeling spherical wavefront emission for arrival times, leveraging the fact that radio signals are generated at considerable distances from the antenna stations. This approach allows for a more precise analysis of the signals captured by the antennas.

The amplitude distribution of the signals is characterized by an Angular Distribution Function, which accounts for various data asymmetries, including geomagnetic effects. Preliminary results from testing the EAS reconstruction procedure using realistic mock observations have been presented, indicating progress in refining these techniques.

The findings from this research could enhance the detection of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays and neutrinos, contributing to a deeper understanding of high-energy astrophysical phenomena. The work is part of a broader effort to improve the sensitivity and accuracy of cosmic ray detection methods, which may have implications for future observational strategies in astrophysics.

This research is documented in the paper titled "Reconstruction of highly inclined extensive air showers in GRAND" by Oscar Macias and ten other authors, available on arXiv (arXiv:2408.15952).