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From Ground to Space: An Overview of the JEM-EUSO Program for the Study of UHECRs and Astrophysical Neutrinos

Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The JEM-EUSO (Joint Exploratory Missions for Extreme Universe Space Observatory) collaboration is an international initiative studying ultra-high-energy cosmic rays (UHECRs) and related phenomena. These particles, with energies exceeding 10$^{20}$~eV, provide insights into extreme astrophysical processes but remain challenging to detect due to their low flux. At the heart of JEM-EUSO's technology is an ultra-fast, highly sensitive UV camera capable of detecting extensive air showers in the atmosphere with exceptional spatial and temporal resolution. In addition, a dedicated Cherenkov camera has been developed to evaluate the viability of the Earth-skimming technique from high altitudes. Fluorescence and Cherenkov detectors can be used together to create a hybrid detection surface, enhancing observational capabilities. This innovative approach enables detailed studies of fluorescence and Cherenkov light from cosmic ray and neutrino interactions. The JEM-EUSO technology will allow for observations from space to significantly increase the exposure to these rare phenomena. The collaboration employs a multi-platform strategy with ground-based experiments like EUSO-TA calibrating detection systems and validating models, and balloon-borne missions such as EUSO-Balloon and EUSO-SPB1/SPB2 demonstrating observations from the stratosphere and testing advanced technologies. Space-based missions, particularly Mini-EUSO on the ISS, have provided valuable data on UV backgrounds, transient luminous events, and meteoroids, as well as demonstrating the potential for future space-based detection. While we are developing a cross-platform methodology, we are ultimately moving towards space-based measurements. Future efforts include the POEMMA space mission, designed for stereoscopic observations of UHECRs and multi-messenger phenomena, the PBR (POEMMA Balloon with Radio) experiment, which integrates radio detection and is scheduled to fly in 2027, and the M-EUSO satellite mission, proposed to ESA and planned for launch in 2041, if accepted. Associated experiments also search for meteoroids and strange quark matter (for example, in the form of nuclearites), broadening the scientific scope. This presentation will summarize the progress of the JEM-EUSO collaboration, highlighting achievements across all platforms and outlining future plans.
DOI: 10.22323/1.501.0360
Language: English
Open Access status: hybrid
Funders: U.S. Department of Energy, National Aeronautics and Space Administration, National Energy Research Scientific Computing Center, Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales, Nuclear Safety and Security Commission, State Space Corporation ROSCOSMOS, Lomonosov Moscow State University, Office of Science
Awards: G122673668, G1286236842, G1632040200, G1677143136, WE PROPOSE TO FULLY DEFINE THE PROBE OF EXTREME MULTI-MESSENGER ASTROPHYSICS (POEMMA) INSTRUMENT AND MISSION DETAILS NECESSARY TO ENABLE FOR THE FIRST TIME CHARGED PARTICLE ASTRONOMY WITH ULTRA-HIGH ENERGY COSMIC RAYS (UHECRS) AND THE DISCOVERY OF COSMOGENIC TAU NEUTRINOS (CTNS). THE STUDY OF UHECRS AND CTNS FROM SPACE WILL YIELD ORDERS-OF-MAGNITUDE INCREASE IN STATISTICS OF OBSERVED UHECRS AND THE DISCOVERY OF THE COSMOGENIC FLUX OF NEUTRINOS FOR THE FULL PREDICTED RANGE OF UHECR MODELS. THESE OBSERVATIONS WILL SOLVE THE LONG-STANDING PUZZLE OF THE ORIGIN OF THE HIGHEST ENERGY PARTICLE EVER OBSERVED PROVIDING A NEW WINDOW ON THE UNIVERSE AND ON ITS MOST ENERGETIC ENVIRONMENTS AND EVENTS. THE DISCOVERY OF CTNS WILL HELP SOLVE THE PUZZLE OF THE ORIGIN OF UHECRS AND BEGIN A NEW FIELD OF ASTROPARTICLE PHYSICS WITH THE STUDY OF NEUTRINO PROPERTIES AT ENERGIES TO THE 10 EEV SCALE. POEMMA WILL PROVIDE A NEW WINDOW ON THE UNIVERSE AND ON ITS MOST ENERGETIC ENVIRONMENTS AND EVENTS. THE INSTRUMENT DESIGN WILL FOCUS ON THE FOLLOWING SCIENCE GOALS: - SUBSTANTIAL [10 X GROUND] INCREASE IN STATISTICS OF UHECRS AND FULL SKY COVERAGE (WITH CLOSE TO UNIFORM EXPOSURE) TO DISCOVER SIGNIFICANT ANISOTROPIES IN THE SKY DISTRIBUTION OF EVENTS GENERATED BY THE SOURCE DISTRIBUTION. - SUBSTANTIAL [100 X GROUND] INCREASE IN STATISTICS ON THE MEASUREMENTS OF UHECR XMAX WITH THE NEED XMAX RESOLUTION (BELOW ~ 20 G/ CM2) TO DETERMINE THE COMPOSITION OF ACCELERATED PARTICLES AND THE MAXIMUM ENERGY OF THESE EXTREME COSMIC ACCELERATORS AND TO SEARCH FOR UHE NEUTRINOS AND PHOTONS. - CHERENKOV MONITORING OF THE EARTH S HORIZON TO OBSERVE EARTH-SOURCED TAU NEUTRINOS FROM 10 PEV TO 10 EEV WITH ASTROPHYSICAL AND COSMOGENIC ORIGINS. TOGETHER THESE MEASUREMENTS WILL DETERMINE THE SOURCES AND ACCELERATION MECHANISMS RESPONSIBLE FOR THESE EXTREME EVENTS AND OPEN A NEW OBSERVATIONAL WINDOW AT EXTREME ENERGIES. THESE CAPABILITIES WILL ADDRESS THE QUESTIONS: WHAT OBJECTS CAN ACCELERATE PARTICLES TO>1020 EV?; HOW ARE THEY DISTRIBUTED IN THE SKY? HOW STRONG ARE MAGNETIC FIELDS IN THE INTERGALACTIC MEDIUM? WHAT IS THE COMPOSITION OF THE UHECRS? HOW DOES THE COMPOSITION EVOLVE AT THE HIGHEST ENERGIES; WHAT IS THE FLUX OF COSMOGENIC NEUTRINOS? WHAT IS THE FLUX OF ASTROPHYSICAL TAU NEUTRINOS? THE MISSION DESIGN IS BASED ON THE ORBITING WIDE-FIELD LIGHT-COLLECTORS (OWL) DESIGN COMBINED WITH A DIRECT CHERENKHOV NEUTRINO DETECTOR BASED ON THE CHERENKOV FROM ASTROPHYSICAL NEUTRINOS TELESCOPE (CHANT) CONCEPT. THE OWL MISSION CONSISTS OF SCHMIDT TELESCOPES WITH UV SENSITIVE ULTRA-FAST CAMERAS ON TWO SATELLITES OPERATING IN TANDEM TO VIEW IN STEREO THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE GIANT PARTICLE SHOWERS INDUCED IN THE EARTH'S ATMOSPHERE BY UHECRS. THE CHANT CONCEPT WILL BE ADDED TO THE OWL TELESCOPES POINTING TO THE HORIZON OF THE EARTH., THIS IS A CO-INVESTIGATOR PROPOSAL FOR EUSO-SPB2 BEING LED BY PI ANGELA V. OLINTO AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO AS THE LEAD INSTITUTION. THIS IS THE LEHMAN COLLEGE (CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK) TASK STATEMENT. WE PROPOSE TO DESIGN BUILD DEPLOY AND PUBLISH THE SCIENTIFIC RESULTS OF A SECOND GENERATION OF THE EXTREME UNIVERSE SPACE OBSERVATORY (EUSO) TO BE FLOWN ABOARD A SUPER-PRESSURE BALLOON (SBP). EUSO-SPB2 WILL MONITOR THE NIGHT SKY OF THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE TO STUDY COSMIC RAYS OF VERY HIGH TO ULTRAHIGH ENERGIES AND PIONEER THE SEARCH FOR COSMOGENIC TAU NEUTRINOS FROM SPACE., G2734988684, G3083819904, G3306586337, G3569042150, G419881185, G42916606, G4501827968, THIS IS THE CO-INVESTIGATOR PROPOSAL FOR EUSO-SPB2 SECOND GENERATION EXTREME UNIVERSE SPACE OBSERVATORY ON A SUPER-PRESSURE BALLOON BEING LED BY PI ANGELA V. OLINTO AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO. WE PROPOSE TO DESIGN BUILD DEPLOY AND PUBLISH THE SCIENTIFIC RESULTS OF A SECOND GENERATION OF THE EXTREME UNIVERSE SPACE OBSERVATORY (EUSO) TO BE FLOWN ABOARD A SUPER-PRESSURE BALLOON (SBP). EUSO-SPB2 WILL MONITOR THE NIGHT SKY OF THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE TO STUDY COSMIC RAYS OF VERY HIGH TO ULTRAHIGH ENERGIES AND PIONEER THE SEARCH FOR COSMOGENIC TAU NEUTRINOS FROM SPACE. EUSO-SPB2 WILL BE THE FIRST INSTRUMENT TO OBSERVE CHERENKOV LIGHT FROM EXTENSIVE AIR-SHOWERS HIGH IN THE ATMOSPHERE. EUSOSPB2 WILL OBSERVE A LARGE SAMPLE OF COSMIC RAYS FROM 0.1 TO 1 EEV WITH THE CHERENKOV TECHNIQUE AND WILL DISCRIMINATE AMONG THE CHERENKOV PROFILES OF PRIMARY PROTONS HEAVY NUCLEI AND PHOTONS. IT WILL ALSO CHARACTERIZE THE BACKGROUND FOR UPWARD GOING SHOWERS INITIATED BY THE DECAY OF TAU LEPTONS WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO BE PRODUCED BY EARTH-SKIMMING TAU NEUTRINOS. A COINCIDENCE VETO WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR EUSO-SPB2 SO IT CAN CHARACTERIZE THE BACKGROUND FOR CHERENKOV SIGNALS FROM THE NEUTRINO PRODUCED TAU LEPTONS. EUSO-SPB2 WILL ALSO USE FLUORESCENCE OBSERVATIONS TO MEASURE FOR THE FIRST TIME THE EVOLUTION OF NEARLY HORIZONTAL HIGH ALTITUDE EXTENSIVE AIR SHOWERS WHICH DEVELOP AT THE NEARLY CONSTANT LOW-DENSITY ATMOSPHERE. SUCH MEASUREMENTS WILL PROVIDE A UNIQUE CHANNEL TO PROBE HADRONIC INTERACTION MODELS AT ULTRAHIGH ENERGIES AND MAY ELUCIDATE THE REASON WHY ULTRAHIGH-ENERGY COSMIC RAY (UHECR) SHOWERS OBSERVED BY GROUND-BASED DETECTORS CONTAIN MORE MUONS THAN EXPECTED FROM HADRONIC INTERACTION MODELS. EUSO-SPB2 IS A PATHFINDER FOR THE MORE AMBITIOUS SPACE-BASED MEASUREMENTS BY THE PROBE OF EXTREME MULTI-MESSENGER ASTROPHYSICS (POEMMA) CURRENTLY PROPOSED FOR A NASA DESIGN STUDY. POEMMA WILL COMBINE THE WELL-DEVELOPED ORBITING WIDEFIELD LIGHT-COLLECTORS (OWL) CONCEPT WITH THE RECENTLY PROPOSED CHERENKOV FROM ASTROPHYSICAL NEUTRINOS TELESCOPE (CHANT) CONCEPT TO FORM A MULTI-MESSENGER PROBE OF THE MOST EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS IN THE UNIVERSE. EUSO-SPB2 WILL INFORM THE BEST STRATEGY FOR FUTURE SPACE MISSIONS SUCH AS POEMMA. EUSO-SPB2 WILL BUILD UPON THE EXPERIENCE OF FLYING EUSO-SPB1 IN THE SPRING OF 2017. A NUMBER OF UPGRADES WILL RENDER EUSO-SPB2 MORE POWERFUL INCLUDING A SCHMIDT DESIGN TELESCOPE AND A FASTER ULTRAVIOLET (UV) CAMERA TO INCREASE EXPOSURE. THE NEW INSTRUMENT WILL DETECT CHERENKOV AND FLUORESCENCE SIGNAL FROM HIGHLY INCLINED UHECR EVENTS. HORIZONTAL OBSERVATIONS WILL LEAD TO MUCH LARGER ACCEPTANCE WITH A DISTANCE-DEPENDENT ENERGY THRESHOLD. DEPENDING ON EUSO-SPB1 RESULTS EUSO-SPB2 MAY ALSO POINT CLOSER TO NADIR IN FLUORESCENCE. THE COMBINATION OF NADIR (EUSO-SPB) AND TILTED (EUSO-SPB2) OBSERVATIONS WILL EXPLORE THE POWER OF SPACE OBSERVATORIES TO OBSERVE UHECR OF EXTREME ENERGIES. A LONG ENOUGH FLIGHT OF EUSO-SPB2 OBSERVATIONS WILL MATCH AND COMPLEMENT GROUND OBSERVATIONS. EUSO-SPB2 ADDRESSES THE FOURTH SCIENCE GOAL OF THE 2011 NASA STRATEGIC PLAN TO DISCOVER HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS EXPLORE HOW IT BEGAN AND EVOLVED AND ONE OF THE PHYSICS OF THE COSMOS QUESTIONS IN NASA S 2010 SCIENCE PLAN: HOW DO MATTER ENERGY SPACE AND TIME BEHAVE UNDER THE EXTRAORDINARILY DIVERSE CONDITIONS OF THE COSMOS? EUSO-SPB2 DIRECTLY ADDRESSES THE SIXTH QUESTION IN THE CONNECTING QUARKS WITH THE COSMOS REPORT IN ITS LIST OF ELEVEN SCIENCE QUESTIONS FOR THE NEW CENTURY WHICH IS HOW DO COSMIC ACCELERATORS WORK AND WHAT ARE THEY ACCELERATING?, G498139845, THIS IS THE LEAD INSTITUTION CO-INVESTIGATOR PROPOSAL FOR EUSO-SPB2 SECOND GENERATION EXTREME UNIVERSE SPACE OBSERVATORY ON A SUPER-PRESSURE BALLOON. IT IS LED BY PI ANGELA V. OLINTO AT THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO WITH CO-IS AT MARSHALL SPACE FLIGHT CENTER (INSTITUTION PI MARK CHRISTL) COLORADO SCHOOL OF MINES (INSTITUTION PI LAWRENCE WIENCKE) UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA HUNTSVILLE (INSTITUTION PI PATRICK REARDON) AND LEHMAN COLLEGE CUNY (INSTITUTION PI LUIS ANCHORDOQUI). WE PROPOSE TO DESIGN BUILD DEPLOY AND PUBLISH THE SCIENTIFIC RESULTS OF A SECOND GENERATION OF THE EXTREME UNIVERSE SPACE OBSERVATORY (EUSO) TO BE FLOWN ABOARD A SUPER-PRESSURE BALLOON (SBP). EUSO-SPB2 WILL MONITOR THE NIGHT SKY OF THE SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE TO STUDY COSMIC RAYS OF VERY HIGH TO ULTRAHIGH ENERGIES AND PIONEER THE SEARCH FOR COSMOGENIC TAU NEUTRINOS FROM SPACE. EUSO-SPB2 WILL BE THE FIRST INSTRUMENT TO OBSERVE CHERENKOV LIGHT FROM EXTENSIVE AIR-SHOWERS HIGH IN THE ATMOSPHERE. EUSOSPB2 WILL OBSERVE A LARGE SAMPLE OF COSMIC RAYS FROM 0.1 TO 1 EEV WITH THE CHERENKOV TECHNIQUE AND WILL DISCRIMINATE AMONG THE CHERENKOV PROFILES OF PRIMARY PROTONS HEAVY NUCLEI AND PHOTONS. IT WILL ALSO CHARACTERIZE THE BACKGROUND FOR UPWARD GOING SHOWERS INITIATED BY THE DECAY OF TAU LEPTONS WHICH ARE EXPECTED TO BE PRODUCED BY EARTH-SKIMMING TAU NEUTRINOS. A COINCIDENCE VETO WILL BE DEVELOPED FOR EUSO-SPB2 SO IT CAN CHARACTERIZE THE BACKGROUND FOR CHERENKOV SIGNALS FROM THE NEUTRINO PRODUCED TAU LEPTONS. EUSO-SPB2 WILL ALSO USE FLUORESCENCE OBSERVATIONS TO MEASURE FOR THE FIRST TIME THE EVOLUTION OF NEARLY HORIZONTAL HIGH ALTITUDE EXTENSIVE AIR SHOWERS WHICH DEVELOP AT THE NEARLY CONSTANT LOW-DENSITY ATMOSPHERE. SUCH MEASUREMENTS WILL PROVIDE A UNIQUE CHANNEL TO PROBE HADRONIC INTERACTION MODELS AT ULTRAHIGH ENERGIES AND MAY ELUCIDATE THE REASON WHY ULTRAHIGH-ENERGY COSMIC RAY (UHECR) SHOWERS OBSERVED BY GROUND-BASED DETECTORS CONTAIN MORE MUONS THAN EXPECTED FROM HADRONIC INTERACTION MODELS. EUSO-SPB2 IS A PATHFINDER FOR THE MORE AMBITIOUS SPACE-BASED MEASUREMENTS BY THE PROBE OF EXTREME MULTI-MESSENGER ASTROPHYSICS (POEMMA) CURRENTLY PROPOSED FOR A NASA DESIGN STUDY. POEMMA WILL COMBINE THE WELL-DEVELOPED ORBITING WIDEFIELD LIGHT-COLLECTORS (OWL) CONCEPT WITH THE RECENTLY PROPOSED CHERENKOV FROM ASTROPHYSICAL NEUTRINOS TELESCOPE (CHANT) CONCEPT TO FORM A MULTI-MESSENGER PROBE OF THE MOST EXTREME ENVIRONMENTS IN THE UNIVERSE. EUSO-SPB2 WILL INFORM THE BEST STRATEGY FOR FUTURE SPACE MISSIONS SUCH AS POEMMA. EUSO-SPB2 WILL BUILD UPON THE EXPERIENCE OF FLYING EUSO-SPB1 IN THE SPRING OF 2017. A NUMBER OF UPGRADES WILL RENDER EUSO-SPB2 MORE POWERFUL INCLUDING A SCHMIDT DESIGN TELESCOPE AND A FASTER ULTRAVIOLET (UV) CAMERA TO INCREASE EXPOSURE. THE NEW INSTRUMENT WILL DETECT CHERENKOV AND FLUORESCENCE SIGNAL FROM HIGHLY INCLINED UHECR EVENTS. HORIZONTAL OBSERVATIONS WILL LEAD TO MUCH LARGER ACCEPTANCE WITH A DISTANCE-DEPENDENT ENERGY THRESHOLD. DEPENDING ON EUSO-SPB1 RESULTS EUSO-SPB2 MAY ALSO POINT CLOSER TO NADIR IN FLUORESCENCE. THE COMBINATION OF NADIR (EUSO-SPB) AND TILTED (EUSO-SPB2) OBSERVATIONS WILL EXPLORE THE POWER OF SPACE OBSERVATORIES TO OBSERVE UHECR OF EXTREME ENERGIES. A LONG ENOUGH FLIGHT OF EUSO-SPB2 OBSERVATIONS WILL MATCH AND COMPLEMENT GROUND OBSERVATIONS. EUSO-SPB2 ADDRESSES THE FOURTH SCIENCE GOAL OF THE 2011 NASA STRATEGIC PLAN TO DISCOVER HOW THE UNIVERSE WORKS EXPLORE HOW IT BEGAN AND EVOLVED AND ONE OF THE PHYSICS OF THE COSMOS QUESTIONS IN NASA S 2010 SCIENCE PLAN : HOW DO MATTER ENERGY SPACE AND TIME BEHAVE UNDER THE EXTRAORDINARILY DIVERSE CONDITIONS OF THE COSMOS? EUSO-SPB2 DIRECTLY ADDRESSES THE SIXTH QUESTION IN THE CONNECTING QUARKS WITH THE COSMOS REPORT IN ITS LIST OF ELEVEN SCIENCE QUESTIONS FOR THE NEW CENTURY WHICH IS HOW DO COSMIC ACCELERATORS WORK AND WHAT ARE THEY ACCELERATING?, G5076365615, G5297774729, G628951129, U.S. PARTICIPATION IN THE EXTREME UNIVERSE SPACE OBSERVATORY ON THE JAPANESE EXPERIMENT MODULE. THIS IS THE LEAD INSTITUTION PROPOSAL SUBMITTED BY TH, G8555306406, G919249374, G969889393
OpenAlex ID: W4414478615
FWCI: 9.764
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