An in-situ calibration of a logarithmic periodic dipole antenna with a frequency coverageof 30MHz to 80MHz is performed. Such antennas are part of a radio station system used fordetection of cosmic ray induced air showers at the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre AugerObservatory, the so-called Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA). The directional and frequencycharacteristics of the broadband antenna are investigated using a remotely piloted aircraft carryinga small transmitting antenna. The antenna sensitivity is described by the vector effective lengthrelating the measured voltage with the electric-field components perpendicular to the incomingsignal direction. The horizontal and meridional components are determined with an overall uncertaintyof 7.4+0.9-0.3% and 10.3+2.8-1.7% respectively. The measurement is used to correct a simulatedresponse of the frequency and directional response of the antenna. In addition, the influence of theground conductivity and permittivity on the antenna response is simulated. Both have a negligibleinfluence given the ground conditions measured at the detector site. The overall uncertainties ofthe vector effective length components result in an uncertainty of 8.8+2.1-1.3% in the square root of theenergy fluence for incoming signal directions with zenith angles smaller than 60°.

Calibration of the logarithmic-periodic dipole antenna (LPDA) radio stations at the Pierre Auger Observatory using an octocopter

Barbato, F.;Boncioli, D.;De Mitri, I.;Dundovic, A.;
2017-01-01

Abstract

An in-situ calibration of a logarithmic periodic dipole antenna with a frequency coverageof 30MHz to 80MHz is performed. Such antennas are part of a radio station system used fordetection of cosmic ray induced air showers at the Engineering Radio Array of the Pierre AugerObservatory, the so-called Auger Engineering Radio Array (AERA). The directional and frequencycharacteristics of the broadband antenna are investigated using a remotely piloted aircraft carryinga small transmitting antenna. The antenna sensitivity is described by the vector effective lengthrelating the measured voltage with the electric-field components perpendicular to the incomingsignal direction. The horizontal and meridional components are determined with an overall uncertaintyof 7.4+0.9-0.3% and 10.3+2.8-1.7% respectively. The measurement is used to correct a simulatedresponse of the frequency and directional response of the antenna. In addition, the influence of theground conductivity and permittivity on the antenna response is simulated. Both have a negligibleinfluence given the ground conditions measured at the detector site. The overall uncertainties ofthe vector effective length components result in an uncertainty of 8.8+2.1-1.3% in the square root of theenergy fluence for incoming signal directions with zenith angles smaller than 60°.
2017
Antennas; Detector alignment and calibration methods (lasers; sources; particlebeams); Large detector systems for particle and astroparticle physics; Particle detectors
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/20.500.12571/382
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