# Oana Taşcău Dipl. Phys.

Physik

Raum: D.11.20
Telefon: +49 (0)202/439-2644
Fax: +49 (0)202/439-2662

## Kurzbiographie

• Geburtsdatum 20 März, 1977, Rumänien

• B.S. Mathematik, Bukarest Universität, 1995 - 1999.
• M.A. Mathematics studies, Bukarest Universität, 2000.
• B.S. Physik, Bukarest Universität, 1999 - 2004.
• Erasmus Stipendium, Max Planck Institute für Radio Astronomie, Bonn, 2003 - 2004.
• Diplom, Physik, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, 2004.
• Ph.D. AstroTeilchenPhysik, Bergische Universität Wuppertal, seit 2011.

## Titel und Abstract des Dissertationsprojektes

Studies of the background for neutrino induced horizontal air showers

Betreuer: Prof. Dr. Karl-Heinz Kampert (Wuppertal)

The Pierre Auger Observatory is able to detect neutrino showers with a sensitive volume of tens of km³ of water equivalent for energies above 1017 eV. The detection of neutrinos is not the main aim of the Pierre Auger Observatory, but it can be considered as a very rich byproduct for many reasons. In this work we investigate the background to a possible neutrinosignal. If no signal is observed, this will put severe constraints on models which predict highenergy neutrino production. A possible signature of a neutrino-induced air shower is a nearhorizontal

event developing very deeply in the atmosphere, at depths exceeding a few thousand g/cm².

The rates of such kind of background events are calculated analytically for the fluorescence detector, for several types of particle candidates, and are compared with various flux models of the ultra-high energy neutrino production. (This work is unique in our international collaboration and we are directly interested to have it recognized officially as a PhD thesis in our group/university).

In the second part of the thesis the emphasis is more on hardware than on software. The subject of focus being the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory which comprises 1600 water Cherenkov detectors distributed over an area of 3000 km². The Cherenkov light is detected by three 9-inch photo-multiplier tubes from which the signals of the anode and last dynode are digitized by 10 bit 40 MHz FADCs. An Altera Cyclone FPGA is employed to generate different local triggers and to handle the data transfer to a communication board. After briefly discussing the design of the cards we present an autonomous test-bench, which has been set up in order to test the large number of boards prior to installation in the field. The qualification procedure and the results obtained in the laboratory are presented. Data collected during operation in the field demonstrate a very good performance and reliability of the  Front-End cards.

In Bearbeitung

## Publikationen

1. Estimation of the background from prompt muons for neutrino induced horizontal showers in the Auger fluorescence telescopes. By O. Tascau, R. Engel, K.-H. Kampert, M. Risse. GAP-2010-001 (Jan 2010) 15p.
2. Search for First Harmonic Modulation in the Right Ascension Distribution of Cosmic Rays
Detected at the Pierre Auger Observatory. By The Pierre Auger Collaboration Astropart.Phys.34:627-639,2011,. [arXiv:1103.2721]
3. The Pierre Auger Observatory scaler mode for the study of solar activity modulation of galactic cosmic rays.
By Pierre Auger Collaboration JINST 6:P01003,2011,.
4. Advanced functionality for radio analysis in the Offline software framework of the Pierre Auger Observatory.
By AUGER Collaboration [arXiv:1101.4473] FERMILAB-PUB-11-027-AE-CD-TD (Jan 2011) 13p.
5. The exposure of the hybrid detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. By Pierre Auger Observatory Collaboration Astropart.Phys.34:368-381,2011,. [arXiv:1010.6162]
6. Update on the correlation of the highest energy cosmic rays with nearby extragalactic matter. By Pierre Auger Observatory Collaboration Astropart.Phys.34:314-326,2010,. [arXiv:1009.1855]
7. Trigger and aperture of the surface detector array of the Pierre Auger Observatory. By Pierre Auger Observatory Collaoration Nucl.Instrum.Meth.A613:29-39,2010,.
8. Measurement of the energy spectrum of cosmic rays above $10^{18}$ eV using the Pierre Auger Observatory. By The Pierre Auger Collaboration Phys.Lett.B685:239-246,2010,. [arXiv:1002.1975]
9. Measurement of the Depth of Maximum of Extensive Air Showers above 10^18 eV. By Pierre Auger Observatory Collaboration Phys.Rev.Lett.104:091101,2010,. [arXiv:1002.0699]
10. A Study of the Effect of Molecular and Aerosol Conditions in the Atmosphere on Air Fluorescence Measurements at the Pierre Auger Observatory. By The Pierre Auger Collaboration Astropart.Phys.33:108-129,2010,. [arXiv:1002.0366]
11. The 3rd generation front-end cards of the Pierre Auger surface detectors: Test results and performance in the field. By Z. Szadkowski, T. Backer, K.H. Becker, P. Buchholz, I. Fleck, K.H. Kampert, M. Rammes, J. Rautenberg, O. Tascau. Nucl.Instrum.Meth.A606:439-445,2009,.
12. The Fluorescence Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. By The Pierre Auger Collaboration Nucl.Instrum.Meth.A620:227-251,2010,. [arXiv:0907.4282]
13. Atmospheric effects on extensive air showers observed with the Surface Detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. By The Pierre Auger Collaboration Astropart.Phys.32:89-99,2009,Erratum-ibid.33:  65-67,2010,. [arXiv:0906.5497]
14. Calibration and Monitoring of the Pierre Auger Observatory. By The Pierre Auger Collaboration [arXiv:0906.2358] FERMILAB-CONF-09-353-A-CD-PPD-TD (Jun 2009)
15. Operations of and Future Plans for the Pierre Auger Observatory. By The Pierre Auger Collaboration [arXiv:0906.2354] FERMILAB-CONF-09-354-A-CD-PPD-TD (Jun 2009)
16. Astrophysical Sources of Cosmic Rays and Related Measurements with the Pierre Auger Observatory. By The Pierre Auger Collaboration [arXiv:0906.2347] FERMILAB-CONF-09-351-A-CD-PPD-TD (Jun 2009)
17. Studies of Cosmic Ray Composition and Air Shower Structure with the Pierre Auger Observatory. By The Pierre Auger Collaboration [arXiv:0906.2319] FERMILAB-CONF-09-352-A-CD-PPD-TD (Jun 2009)
18. The Cosmic Ray Energy Spectrum and Related Measurements with the Pierre Auger Observatory.
By The Pierre Auger Collaboration [arXiv:0906.2189] FERMILAB-CONF-09-350-A-CD-PPD-TD (Jun 2009)
19. Limit on the diffuse flux of ultra-high energy tau neutrinos with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. By Pierre Auger Collaboration Phys.Rev.D79:102001,2009,. [arXiv:0903.3385]
20. Upper limit on the cosmic-ray photon fraction at EeV energies from the Pierre Auger Observatory. By The Pierre Auger Collaboration Astropart.Phys.31:399-406,2009,. [arXiv:0903.1127]
21. Active Galactic Nuclei: Sources for ultra high energy cosmic rays? By P.L. Biermann, et al., Nucl.Phys.Proc.Suppl.190:61-78,2009,. [arXiv:0811.1848]
22. Observation of the suppression of the flux of cosmic rays above $4\times 10^{19}$eV. By Pierre Auger Collaboration Phys.Rev.Lett.101:061101,2008,. [arXiv:0806.4302]
23. Correlation of the highest-energy cosmic rays with the positions of nearby active galactic nuclei. By Pierre Auger Collaboration Astropart.Phys.29:188-204,2008, Erratum-ibid.30:45,2008,. [arXiv:0712.2843]
24. Upper limit on the diffuse flux of UHE tau neutrinos from the Pierre Auger Observatory. By The Pierre Auger Collaboration Phys.Rev.Lett.100:211101,2008,. [arXiv:0712.1909]
25. Upper limit on the cosmic-ray photon flux above 10$^{19}$ eV using the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. By Pierre Auger Collaboration Astropart.Phys.29:243-256,2008,. [arXiv:0712.1147]
26. Correlation of the highest energy cosmic rays with nearby extragalactic objects. By Pierre Auger Collaboration Science 318:938-943,2007,. [arXiv:0711.2256]
27. Investigation of backgrounds for horizontal neutrino showers at ultra-high energy. By O. Tascau, K.H. Kampert, M. Risse, Ralph Engel. FZKA-7340ZH (Aug 2007) 4p.
28. Origin and physics of the highest energy cosmic rays: What can we learn from Radio Astronomy? By Peter L. Biermann, P.Gina Isar, Ioana C. Maris, Faustin Munyaneza, Oana Tascau. In *Erice 2006, Astrophysics at ultra-high energies* 111-122. [astro-ph/0702161]
29. Anisotropy studies around the Galactic Centre at EeV energies with the Auger Observatory. By Pierre Auger Collaboration Astropart.Phys.27:244-253,2007,. [astro-ph/0607382]
30. An upper limit to the photon fraction in cosmic rays above $10^{19}$-eV from the Pierre Auger Observatory.
By Pierre Auger Collaboration Astropart.Phys.27:155-168,2007,. [astro-ph/0606619]

## Sonstige wissenschaftliche Aktivitäten/Mitgliedschaften

• Deutsche Physikalische Gesellschaft