Detección de la componente electromagnética de los rayos cósmicos del espacio mediante técnicas de arreglo de antenas.

Abstract

The aim of this research was to analyze and compare the detection of the electromagnetic component of cosmic rays from space using antenna array techniques. Firstly, the study and analysis of the different techniques for detecting the investigated cosmic rays were carried out, such as Cherenkov tanks or fluorescence detector telescopes, in addition to the different models of antennas, such as circular loop, butterfly or logarithmic, the last is considered as the one that has the best design features. Through mathematical calculations it was possible to determine the dimensions that the prototypes will have, those were validated by the logarithmic periodic antenna simulator of the 3G-Aerial company. Afterwards, the simulation was carried out in the ANSYS student version software and both its input impedance and its reflection coefficient were analyzed, determining that the measurements of the dipoles and the distance between each one are correct. To generate the array, 4 equal antennas were implemented and the bandwidth it was working in was validated, using the vector network analyzer, verifying that all frequencies around 20 to 80 MHz have their reflection coefficient below – 10 dB. Finally, field tests of the frequency spectrum were carried out demonstrating that the antenna captures spontaneous electromagnetic waves in the desired range. From the work carried out, it is concluded that logarithmic antennas have better reception qualities for the electromagnetic component of cosmic rays, in addition these have a complete and practical process at the moment of designing and implementing them. It is highly recommended to work with all antennas together to perform long-term spectrum measurements and obtain matches from these unintentional sources, in order to be able to sample them in an automated way and collect the most relevant values for subsequent physical analysis.