The POEMMA-Balloon with Radio (PBR) mission is a NASA super-pressure balloon experiment designed to advance the detection of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, high-altitude horizontal air showers, and astrophysical neutrinos. A key instrument of PBR is the Cherenkov Camera (CC), which utilizes a 2048-pixel SiPM camera to detect the optical Cherenkov emission from cosmic-ray-induced air showers and search for upward-going signals indicative of neutrinos. The CC operates in the 320–900 nm spectral range with a 10 ns integration time, leveraging a bi-focal optical design to enhance detection efficiency. The CC enables precise reconstruction of shower trajectories and provides valuable data on cosmic rays’ composition and energy distribution. PBR’s sub-orbital altitude is particularly advantageous for these measurements, offering a unique vantage point that bridges the observational gap between ground-based and space-based instruments. Additionally, the CC will play a critical role in neutrino searches, detecting tau-lepton decay showers from Earth-skimming neutrinos associated with astrophysical transients. By integrating the CC with fluorescence and radio detection systems, PBR will pioneer a multi-messenger approach to high-energy cosmic phenomena, refining observational techniques for future space-based missions. This contribution will describe the current status of the development of the CC as well as its expected performance.

The Cherenkov Camera for the PBR mission / Abdullahi, M., Abrate, M., Adams, J.H., Allard, D., Alldredge, P., Aloisio, R., Ammendola, R., Anastasio, A., Anchordoqui, L., Andreoli, V., Anzalone, A., Arnone, E., Badoni, D., Von Ballmoos, P., Baret, B., Barghini, D., Battisti, M., Bellotti, R., Belov, A.A., Bertaina, M., et al.. - In: POS PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENCE. - ISSN 1824-8039. - 501:(2025). (39th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2025 che 2025) [10.22323/1.501.0391].

The Cherenkov Camera for the PBR mission

Campana D.;Isgro F.;Mese M.;Panico B.;Perfetto F.;Scotti V.;Sparvoli R.;Triggiani R.;Vigorito C.;
2025

Abstract

The POEMMA-Balloon with Radio (PBR) mission is a NASA super-pressure balloon experiment designed to advance the detection of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, high-altitude horizontal air showers, and astrophysical neutrinos. A key instrument of PBR is the Cherenkov Camera (CC), which utilizes a 2048-pixel SiPM camera to detect the optical Cherenkov emission from cosmic-ray-induced air showers and search for upward-going signals indicative of neutrinos. The CC operates in the 320–900 nm spectral range with a 10 ns integration time, leveraging a bi-focal optical design to enhance detection efficiency. The CC enables precise reconstruction of shower trajectories and provides valuable data on cosmic rays’ composition and energy distribution. PBR’s sub-orbital altitude is particularly advantageous for these measurements, offering a unique vantage point that bridges the observational gap between ground-based and space-based instruments. Additionally, the CC will play a critical role in neutrino searches, detecting tau-lepton decay showers from Earth-skimming neutrinos associated with astrophysical transients. By integrating the CC with fluorescence and radio detection systems, PBR will pioneer a multi-messenger approach to high-energy cosmic phenomena, refining observational techniques for future space-based missions. This contribution will describe the current status of the development of the CC as well as its expected performance.
2025
The Cherenkov Camera for the PBR mission / Abdullahi, M., Abrate, M., Adams, J.H., Allard, D., Alldredge, P., Aloisio, R., Ammendola, R., Anastasio, A., Anchordoqui, L., Andreoli, V., Anzalone, A., Arnone, E., Badoni, D., Von Ballmoos, P., Baret, B., Barghini, D., Battisti, M., Bellotti, R., Belov, A.A., Bertaina, M., et al.. - In: POS PROCEEDINGS OF SCIENCE. - ISSN 1824-8039. - 501:(2025). (39th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2025 che 2025) [10.22323/1.501.0391].
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11588/1046492
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