Measurement of the near-infrared fluorescence of the air for the detection of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays

E. Conti , G. Sartori , G. Viola

We have investigated the fluorescence emission in the Near Infrared from the air and its main components, nitrogen and oxygen. The gas was excited by a 95 electron beam and the fluorescence light detected by an InGaAs photodiode, sensitive down to about 1700 . We have recorded the emission spectra by means of a Fourier Transform Infrared spectrometer. The light yield was also measured by comparing the Near Infrared signal with the known Ultraviolet fluorescence, detected by a Si photodiode.

Mots clés: air fluorescence; nitrogen fluorescence; oxygen fluorescence; near-infrared; cosmic-ray detection; Ultra-High-Energy Cosmic Rays

Domaines: Cosmologie et astrophysique extra-galactique [astro-ph.CO]; Cosmologie et astrophysique extra-galactique [astro-ph.CO]

E. Conti, G. Sartori, G. Viola. Measurement of the near-infrared fluorescence of the air for the detection of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays. Astroparticle Physics, 2010, 34 (6), pp.333. ⟨10.1016/j.astropartphys.2010.09.001⟩. ⟨hal-00710486⟩