Circular polarization in radio emission from extensive air showers

Olaf Scholten; T. N.G. Trinh; A. Bonardi; S. Buitink; A. Corstanje; H. Falcke; B. M. Hare; J. R. Hörandel; P. Mitra; K. Mulrey; A. Nelles; J. P. Rachen; L. Rossetto; P. Schellart; S. Ter Veen; S. Thoudam; T. Winchen

Circular polarization in radio emission from extensive air showers

Olaf Scholten
, T. N.G. Trinh
, A. Bonardi
, S. Buitink
, A. Corstanje
, H. Falcke
, B. M. Hare
, J. R. Hörandel
, P. Mitra
, K. Mulrey
, A. Nelles
, J. P. Rachen
, L. Rossetto
, P. Schellart
, S. Ter Veen
, S. Thoudam
, T. Winchen

Physics

KVI-Center for Advanced Radiation Technology
Vrije Universiteit Brussel
Radboud University Nijmegen
NIKHEF
Netherlands Institute of Radio Astronomy (ASTRON)
University of California-Irvine
Princeton University

Research output: Contribution to journal › Conference article › peer-review

Abstract

At LOFAR we measure the radio emission from extensive air showers (EAS) in the frequency band of 30 - 80 MHz in dual-polarized antennas. Through an accurate antenna calibration we can determine the complete set of four Stokes parameters that uniquely determine the linear and circular polarization of the radio signal for an EAS. The observed dependency of the circular polarization on azimuth angle and distance to the shower axis is explained as due to the interfering contributions from the two different radiation mechanisms, a main contribution due to a geomagnetically-induced transverse current and a secondary component due to the Askaryan effect. The measured data show a quantitative agreement with microscopic CORSIKA/CoREAS calculations. Having a very detailed understanding of radio emission from EAS, opens the possibility to use circular polarization as an investigative tool in the analysis of air shower structure, such as for the determination of atmospheric electric fields.

Original language	British English
Journal	Proceedings of Science
State	Published - 2017
Event	35th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2017 - Bexco, Busan, Korea, Republic of Duration: 10 Jul 2017 → 20 Jul 2017

OpenUrl availability

Full text

Cite this

@article{50f968c4327f4a08b54ebbdc965234b4,

title = "Circular polarization in radio emission from extensive air showers",

abstract = "At LOFAR we measure the radio emission from extensive air showers (EAS) in the frequency band of 30 - 80 MHz in dual-polarized antennas. Through an accurate antenna calibration we can determine the complete set of four Stokes parameters that uniquely determine the linear and circular polarization of the radio signal for an EAS. The observed dependency of the circular polarization on azimuth angle and distance to the shower axis is explained as due to the interfering contributions from the two different radiation mechanisms, a main contribution due to a geomagnetically-induced transverse current and a secondary component due to the Askaryan effect. The measured data show a quantitative agreement with microscopic CORSIKA/CoREAS calculations. Having a very detailed understanding of radio emission from EAS, opens the possibility to use circular polarization as an investigative tool in the analysis of air shower structure, such as for the determination of atmospheric electric fields.",

author = "Olaf Scholten and Trinh, \{T. N.G.\} and A. Bonardi and S. Buitink and A. Corstanje and H. Falcke and Hare, \{B. M.\} and H{\"o}randel, \{J. R.\} and P. Mitra and K. Mulrey and A. Nelles and Rachen, \{J. P.\} and L. Rossetto and P. Schellart and \{Ter Veen\}, S. and S. Thoudam and T. Winchen",

note = "Funding Information: The LOFAR cosmic ray key science project acknowledges funding from an Advanced Grant of the European Research Council (FP/2007-2013) / ERC Grant Agreement n. 227610. The project has also received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union{\textquoteright}s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 640130). We furthermore acknowledge financial support from FOM, (FOM-project 12PR3041-3) and NWO (Top Grant 614-001-454, and Spinoza Prize SPI 78-409). AN is supported by the DFG (research fellowship NE 2031/1-1). Publisher Copyright: {\textcopyright} Copyright owned by the author(s) under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).; 35th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2017 ; Conference date: 10-07-2017 Through 20-07-2017",

year = "2017",

language = "British English",

journal = "Proceedings of Science",

issn = "1824-8039",

publisher = "Sissa Medialab Srl",

}

TY - JOUR

T1 - Circular polarization in radio emission from extensive air showers

AU - Scholten, Olaf

AU - Trinh, T. N.G.

AU - Bonardi, A.

AU - Buitink, S.

AU - Corstanje, A.

AU - Falcke, H.

AU - Hare, B. M.

AU - Hörandel, J. R.

AU - Mitra, P.

AU - Mulrey, K.

AU - Nelles, A.

AU - Rachen, J. P.

AU - Rossetto, L.

AU - Schellart, P.

AU - Ter Veen, S.

AU - Thoudam, S.

AU - Winchen, T.

N1 - Funding Information: The LOFAR cosmic ray key science project acknowledges funding from an Advanced Grant of the European Research Council (FP/2007-2013) / ERC Grant Agreement n. 227610. The project has also received funding from the European Research Council (ERC) under the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme (grant agreement No 640130). We furthermore acknowledge financial support from FOM, (FOM-project 12PR3041-3) and NWO (Top Grant 614-001-454, and Spinoza Prize SPI 78-409). AN is supported by the DFG (research fellowship NE 2031/1-1). Publisher Copyright: © Copyright owned by the author(s) under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-Non Commercial-No Derivatives 4.0 International License (CC BY-NC-ND 4.0).

PY - 2017

Y1 - 2017

N2 - At LOFAR we measure the radio emission from extensive air showers (EAS) in the frequency band of 30 - 80 MHz in dual-polarized antennas. Through an accurate antenna calibration we can determine the complete set of four Stokes parameters that uniquely determine the linear and circular polarization of the radio signal for an EAS. The observed dependency of the circular polarization on azimuth angle and distance to the shower axis is explained as due to the interfering contributions from the two different radiation mechanisms, a main contribution due to a geomagnetically-induced transverse current and a secondary component due to the Askaryan effect. The measured data show a quantitative agreement with microscopic CORSIKA/CoREAS calculations. Having a very detailed understanding of radio emission from EAS, opens the possibility to use circular polarization as an investigative tool in the analysis of air shower structure, such as for the determination of atmospheric electric fields.

AB - At LOFAR we measure the radio emission from extensive air showers (EAS) in the frequency band of 30 - 80 MHz in dual-polarized antennas. Through an accurate antenna calibration we can determine the complete set of four Stokes parameters that uniquely determine the linear and circular polarization of the radio signal for an EAS. The observed dependency of the circular polarization on azimuth angle and distance to the shower axis is explained as due to the interfering contributions from the two different radiation mechanisms, a main contribution due to a geomagnetically-induced transverse current and a secondary component due to the Askaryan effect. The measured data show a quantitative agreement with microscopic CORSIKA/CoREAS calculations. Having a very detailed understanding of radio emission from EAS, opens the possibility to use circular polarization as an investigative tool in the analysis of air shower structure, such as for the determination of atmospheric electric fields.

UR - https://www.scopus.com/pages/publications/85046054897

M3 - Conference article

AN - SCOPUS:85046054897

SN - 1824-8039

JO - Proceedings of Science

JF - Proceedings of Science

T2 - 35th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2017

Y2 - 10 July 2017 through 20 July 2017

ER -

Circular polarization in radio emission from extensive air showers

Abstract

OpenUrl availability

Other files and links

Fingerprint

Cite this