Simulation and design of the HT-KZ Ultra-high energy cosmic rays detector system for cosmic rays with energies above 1017 eV

Abstract

In the field of High Energy Physics today there are several open topics left. The Higgs boson has been recently discovered, neutrino oscillations are being studied, and some hints of the dark matter have been detected as well. Another remaining mystery is the origin and the nature of the Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays. There is an active project at Nazarbayev University to construct the HorizonT-Kazakhstan detector system in collaboration with the Tien Shan high-altitude Science Station (TSHSS), a part of Lebedev Physical Institute of the Russian Academy of Sciences. The full R&D is underway. A significant part of this process is the simulation, testing and construction of individual particle detectors due to the requirements of robustness and high linear range of such detectors combined with low cost and long-term operations with minimal maintenance. In this paper, the latest results of the simulation activities and experiment testing of different detection components as applicable to the HorizonT-Kazakhstan requirements are presented.