The Cherenkov Camera for the PBR mission

Abdullahi M, Abrate M, Adams JH, 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 AA, Bertaina M, Betts M, Biermann P, Bisconti F, Blin-Bondil S, Boezio M, Bowaire AN, Buckland I, Burmistrov L, Burton-Heibges J, Cafagna F, Campana D, Capel F, Caraca J, Caruso R, Casolino M, Cassardo C, Castellina A, Černý K, Conti L, Coretti AG, Cremonini R, Creusot A, Cummings A, Davarpanah S, De Santis C, de la Taille C, Di Giovanni A, Di Salvo A, Ebisuzaki T, Eser J, Fenu F, Ferrarese S, Filippatos G, Finch WW, Fornaro C, Fuglesang C, Galvez Molina P, Garbolino S, Garg D, Gardiol D, Garipov GK, Golzio A, Guépin C, Haungs A, Heibges T, Isgrò F, Iuppa R, Judd EG, Kajino F, Kupari L, Kim SW, Klimov PA, Kreykenbohm I, Krizmanic JF, Lesrel J, Liberatori F, Lima HP, M’sihid E, Mandát D, Manfrin M, Marcelli A, Marcelli L, Marszał W, Masciantonio G, Masone V, Matthews JN, Mayotte E, Meli A, Mese M, Meyer SS, Mignone M, Miller M, Miyamoto H, Montaruli T, Moses J, Munini R, Nathan C, Neronov A, Nicolaidis R, Nonaka T, Mongelli M, Novikov A, Nozzoli F, Ogawa T, Ogio S, Ohmori H, Olinto AV, Onel Y, Osteria G, Panico B, Parizot E, Passeggio G, Paul T, Pech M, Penalo Castillo K, Perfetto F, Perrone L, Petta C, Picozza P, Piotrowski LW, Plebaniak Z, Prévôt G, Przybylak M, Qureshi H, Reali E, Reno MH, Reynaud F, Ricci E, Ricci M, Rivetti A, Saccà G, Sagawa H, Saprykin O, Sarazin F, Saraev RE, Schovánek P, Scotti V, Sharakin SA, Scherini V, Schieler H, Shinozaki K, Schröder F, Sotgiu A, Sparvoli R, Stillwell B, Szabelski J, Takeda M, Takizawa Y, Thomas SB, Torres Saavedra RA, Triggiani R, Trimarelli C, Trofimov DA, Unger M, Venters TM, Venugopal M, Vigorito C, Vrabel M, Wada S, Washington D, Weindl A, Wiencke L, Wilms J, Wissel S, Yashin IV, Zotov MY, Zuccon P (2025)

Publication Type: Conference contribution

Publication year: 2025

Journal

Publisher: Sissa Medialab Srl

Book Volume: 501

Conference Proceedings Title: Proceedings of Science

Event location: Geneva

DOI: 10.22323/1.501.0391

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.

Authors with CRIS profile

Involved external institutions

National Institute for Nuclear Physics / Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare (INFN) Italy (IT) Università degli Studi di Trento Italy (IT) Université Paris-Sud France (FR) University of Iowa United States (USA) (US) University of Montpellier / Université Montpellier France (FR) University of Chicago United States (USA) (US) Cardiovascular Research Foundation United States (USA) (US) City University of New York (CUNY) United States (USA) (US) Università telematica internazionale Uninettuno Italy (IT) Lomonosov Moscow State University / Московский государственный университет имени М.В.Ломоносова Russian Federation (RU) Trento Institute for Fundamental Physics and Applications (TIFPA) Italy (IT) National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) United States (USA) (US) Università degli Studi di Catania Italy (IT) Pennsylvania State University (Penn State) United States (USA) (US) University of Delaware (UDEL) United States (USA) (US) University of Utah United States (USA) (US) Max-Planck-Institut für Physik (Werner-Heisenberg-Institut, MPP) / Max Planck Institute for Physics Germany (DE) University of Alabama in Huntsville (UAH) United States (USA) (US) Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic (ASCR) / Akademie věd České republiky (AVČR) Czech Republic (CZ) Konan University / 甲南大学 Japan (JP) North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University United States (USA) (US) University of Tokyo Japan (JP) Korea Astronomy and Space Science Institute (KASI) Korea, Republic of (KR) University of Geneva / Université de Genève (UNIGE) Switzerland (CH) Institute for Fundamental Physics of the Universe (IFPU) Italy (IT) National Institute for Astrophysics / Istituto Nazionale Astrofisica (INAF) Italy (IT) Gran Sasso Science Institute Italy (IT) Colorado School of Mines United States (USA) (US) Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT) Germany (DE) Université Fédérale de Toulouse Midi-Pyrénées France (FR) Riken Institute of Physical and Chemical Research / 理化学研究所 Japan (JP) École Polytechnique - Université Paris-Saclay France (FR) Università del Salento Italy (IT) National Centre for Nuclear Research (früher:Institute of Atomic Energy POLATOM & Andrzej Sołtan Institute for Nuclear Studies) / Narodowe Centrum Badań Jądrowych (NCBJ) Poland (PL) Università degli Studi di Napoli Federico II Italy (IT) Università degli Studi di Roma 'Tor Vergata' Italy (IT) Italian Space Agency / Agenzia Spaziale Italiana (ASI) Italy (IT) Royal Institute of Technology / Kungliga Tekniska Högskolan (KTH) Sweden (SE) University of California, Berkeley (UC Berkeley) United States (USA) (US) Palacky University Olomouc / Univerzita Palackého v Olomouci Czech Republic (CZ) University of Lodz / Uniwersytet Łódzki Poland (PL) Space Regatta Consortium (SRC) / Консорциум "Космическая регата" Russian Federation (RU) University of Warsaw / Uniwersytet Warszawski Poland (PL) Stefan Batory Academy of Applied Sciences / Akademia Nauk Stosowanych Stefana Batorego Poland (PL)

How to cite

APA:

Abdullahi, M., Abrate, M., Adams, J.H., Allard, D., Alldredge, P., Aloisio, R.,... Zuccon, P. (2025). The Cherenkov Camera for the PBR mission. In Proceedings of Science. Geneva, CH: Sissa Medialab Srl.

MLA:

Abdullahi, M., et al. "The Cherenkov Camera for the PBR mission." Proceedings of the 39th International Cosmic Ray Conference, ICRC 2025, Geneva Sissa Medialab Srl, 2025.

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