Energy and Flux Measurements of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays Observed During the First ANITA Flight

Understand

The first flight of the Antarctic Impulsive Transient Antenna (ANITA) experiment recorded 16 radio signals that were emitted by cosmic-ray induced air showers.

• For 14 of these events, this radiation was reflected from the ice.
• The dominant contribution to the radiation from the deflection of positrons and electrons in the geomagnetic field, which is beamed in the direction of motion of the air shower.
• This radiation is reflected from the ice and subsequently detected by the ANITA experiment at a flight altitude of 36km.