Institute of Experimental Physics of the SAS Participates in NASA's PBR Mission
The Institute of Experimental Physics of the Slovak Academy of Sciences (SAS) is involved in international cooperation on preparing the PBR mission (POEMMA-Balloon with Radio). Four highly sensitive EMON detectors have been developed for the main telescope, where they will monitor light conditions during the flight of a NASA stratospheric balloon.
"The planned POEMMA (Probe Of Extreme Multi-Messenger Astrophysics) space mission aims to observe the most energetic particles in the universe from Earth orbit. An important step toward this goal is the technological testing of key instruments during the PBR mission's stratospheric flight. It is a great honour for us to contribute to this unique mission, which has the potential to enable groundbreaking discoveries," said space physicist Šimon Mackovjak.
The PBR mission is scheduled for launch in March 2027 from the Wanaka Balloon Base in New Zealand. The NASA-operated stratospheric balloon will fly at approximately 30 km altitude for up to 100 days. During this time, it will use a highly sensitive optical telescope and a radio antenna to detect atmospheric particle showers produced by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays.The mission will also carry detectors developed at the Department of Space Physics of the Institute of Experimental Physics of the SAS in Košice. These EMON detectors will monitor light conditions in the main optical telescope.
"Our colleagues from the United States required high reliability and strong miniaturisation of the instruments. We therefore designed the EMON detectors to withstand extreme conditions, including temperatures down to -50 °C and pressures at about one-thousandth of atmospheric pressure, while remaining compact enough for integration into the telescope. We succeeded in developing a solution that our partners have highly appreciated," said Igor Strhárský and Ján Baláž, who designed, built, and tested the instruments.
EMON detectors measure light conditions with a sensitivity of 50 pW/cm². They operate thanks to dedicated software and an integrated heating system autonomously. Last week, four units were shipped to Naples, Italy, where they will be integrated into the fluorescence telescope of the PBR mission. Testing of the full system will take place in the coming months, with transport to New Zealand planned for the end of the year.
Compiled by: Šimon Mackovjak, Institute of Experimental Physics, SAS
Photo: archive of the Institute of Experimental Physics, SAS