31632 - Particle Astrophysics

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