Ultra-high energy (UHE) cosmic rays (CR) are the highest-energy particles observed in nature. Despite decades of study, their origin is still unknown, partly due to their extreme rarity (~1 per km² per century). A key to resolving this mystery will be observations of UHE neutrinos, which are expected from UHE CR interactions with background photon fields such as the cosmic microwave background (CMBR). A method to detect both UHE CR and the as-yet unobserved UHE neutrinos is the lunar Cherenkov technique, which involves using a radio-telescope to observe the characteristic ~1ns pulses expected from these particles interacting in the outer layers of the Moon. In this talk I discuss the progress of the LUNASKA project, which aims to develope this technique (both theoretically and experimentally) to be used with the next generation of giant radio arrays, such as the Square Kilometre Array (SKA).

Location:
Slade Lecture Theatre
School of Physics A28
Physics Road
University of Sydney
Enquiries: Andrew Hopkins (9351 7688) or

Cake will be provided from 3pm in the lecture theatre.

Links for other colloquiums organized in the Sydney region:

• USyd Applied Maths Seminar
• UNSW School of Physics
• Australia Telescope National Facility
• Anglo-Australian Observatory