- Docente: Maurizio Spurio
- Credits: 6
- SSD: FIS/01
- Language: Italian
- Teaching Mode: Traditional lectures
- Campus: Bologna
-
Corso:
Second cycle degree programme (LM) in
Physics (cod. 8025)
Also valid for Second cycle degree programme (LM) in Astrophysics and cosmology (cod. 8018)
Learning outcomes
After completing this course, the student knows the experimental and theoretical aspects of the nature, origin and propagation of charged cosmic rays and neutrinos. In particular, the student discusses the connections between astrophysics and particle physics.
Course contents
1. Brief history on the detection of Cosmic Rays (CR). Flux of CR on Earth: primary and secondary particles. Energy density of CR in our Galaxy.
2. Direct measurement of CR. Charged particles energy loss: ionisation losses; interaction of electrons and photons with matter; nuclear interactions of protons and nuclei. Measurement of charge and energy of CR. Extensive Air showers in the atmosphere. Direct measurements of RC with balloons and satellites (PAMELA, AMS, BESS).
3. CR Propagation in our Galaxy. Galactic magnetic field and matter distribution. Elemental abundance in the Galaxy and in the cosmic rays. The problem of the origin of light elements (Li, Be, B) in the CR during the propagation in the Galaxy. The 'clock' of CR.
4. Sources and Acceleration of CR.. Direct measurement of the charged primary CR on atmosphere (satellite, balloon). General principles of CR acceleration from Supernovae. The Fermi model. Energy spectrum and maximum energy for particle accelerated by Supernovae explosions. CR with energy less than 100 TeV
5. Measurements of CR with energy greater than 100
TeV. Detection of Extensive Air showers in the atmosphere. A
model of CR accelerator for E>100 TeV: the Pulsar. Gamma-ray
observation from the galactic plane. Extragalactic CR. The Graisen
cut-off.
6. Gamma-rays astronomy. The EGRET and FERMI-LAT sky: the diffuse flux of gamma rays. Known and unknown in the gamma sky. Gamma-ray burst. Observation of TeV gamma rays from galactic and extragalactic sources. The Imaging Cherenkov telescopes.
7. Neutrinos in the CR. Energy spectrum, interaction and detection of atmospheric neutrinos. Discussion on the experimental results on atmospheric neutrinos. Neutrino oscillations and neutrino masses.
8. Neutrinos from gravitational collapses and from the Sun. Detection of low-energy Supernovae neutrinos. The SN1987a.
9. The Sun and the Standard Solar model. Neutrino flux
from nuclear fusion reactions in the Sun. Direct and
radiochemical solar neutrino detection.
10. Neutrino astrophysics from point sources. Why Neutrino Astronomy? Astrophysical Sources of neutrinos. A Numerical example. A Galactic source of neutrinos: neutron star with accretion disk. Event rate in a underground detector. Upper Bounds on Neutrino Diffuse Fluxes. Neutrino telescopes: ICECUBE, ANTARES, NEMO. The KM3 project in the Mediterranean sea
11. Dark Matter searches. Direct method for the measurements of DM. Annual modulation. Some experiments and results.
Indirect searches for DM. Experiment detecting electrons, gamma and neutrinos.
Readings/Bibliography
Maurizio Spurio: PARTICLES AND ASTROPHYSICS - Springer ISBN 978-3-319-08050-5
http://www.springer.com/astronomy/astrophysics+and+astroparticles/book/978-3-319-08050-5
LONGAIR, M.S.: High Energy Astrophysics.
Cambridge University Press (2 Vol) - 1993
T. STANEV: High Energy Cosmic rays. Springer.
BAHCALL, J.N. : Neutrino Astrophysics
Cambridge University Press, 1988.
Teaching methods
Lectures with PC.
Assessment methods
Oral examination
Teaching tools
Dedicated textbook
Note: The course is primarily aimed for students of the LM
Address on Nuclear and Subnucleare Physics- and students of
LM in Astrophysics.
For the latter it is recommended to have attended the course
"Nuclear and Subnuclear Physics" during the third year
of the degree in Astronomy.
For students of other addresses of the LM, or for students who
have no knowledge of Nuclear and Subnuclear Physics, it
is strongly recommended as a pre-requisite the self-study of
Chapters 1 to 5 of the book "Particles and Fundamental
Interactions."
Office hours
See the website of Maurizio Spurio