Speaker
Description
The SKA-Low is a dense, uniform radio array that will enable high-precision studies of the cosmic ray induced extensive air-showers. We are developing a near-field beam-forming or interferometric framework to reconstruct key air-shower parameters with the SKA-Low array. Currently, we focus on the interferometric reconstruction of the arrival direction, shower core position, and the depth of shower maximum ($\mathrm{X}_{\mathrm{max}}$), with the goal of extending the framework to reconstruct primary energy as well. The method has been implemented on 100 PeV air showers, simulated in CoREAS, for Proton, Helium, Carbon, Silicon and Iron primaries, at zenith angles 15° and 30° which has produced a $\mathrm{X}_{\mathrm{max}}$ resolution of 15-20 $\mathrm{g/cm}^2$. We have also obtained a fine angular resolution of 0.2° and a core resolution of 5-10 m. The interferometric framework can potentially extend the sensitivity of radio detection techniques to PeV energies. With these encouraging results, we are further investigating the dependence of the reconstruction performance on the geometry and uniformity of the sampling region, while assessing its viability as a competitive and scalable technique for low-energy air showers. Therefore, we are exploring the full potential of interferometric reconstruction framework to significantly broaden the capabilities of SKA-Low in cosmic-ray physics.