Speaker
Description
Ultra-high-energy cosmic rays interact with the Earth's atmosphere generating particle showers that emit coherent radio waves in the MHz frequency range. The radio interferometric technique exploits the relative arrival times of these pulses at multiple antennas to reconstruct parameters of the cosmic-ray-induced shower, mainly its arrival direction, shower maximum, and core. To achieve a high precision in these measurements, a clock synchronization accuracy of ~1 ns and an uncertainty in the position of less than 30 cm are required between the stations.
At the Pierre Auger Observatory, we have demonstrated radio interferometry within the Auger Radio Engineering Array and we are now preparing to extend the technique to the full 3,000 km$^2$ area of the Auger Radio Detector. Given the two orders of magnitude increase in the instrumented area, a new synchronization system and precise antenna positioning are essential. In this contribution, we will discuss the key results of radio interferometry achieved at the Observatory and outline the progress being made toward implementing the technique across the entire radio array.