Volume 501 - 39th International Cosmic Ray Conference (ICRC2025) - Cosmic-Ray Indirect
The Cherenkov Camera for the PBR mission
V. Scotti*, A. Anastasio, M.E. Bertaina, A. Boiano, R. Caruso, C. De Santis, V. Masone, M. Mese, G. Osteria, B. Panico, G. Passeggio, F. Perfetto, H.A. Qureshi and E. Ricci
*: corresponding author
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Pre-published on: September 24, 2025
Published on:
Abstract
The POEMMA-Balloon with Radio (PBR) mission is a NASA super-pressure balloon experiment designed to advance the detection of ultra-high-energy cosmic rays, high-altitude horizontal air showers, and astrophysical neutrinos. A key instrument of PBR is the Cherenkov Camera (CC), which utilizes a 2048-pixel SiPM camera to detect the optical Cherenkov emission from cosmic-ray-induced air showers and search for upward-going signals indicative of neutrinos.

The CC operates in the 320–900 nm spectral range with a 10 ns integration time, leveraging a bi-focal optical design to enhance detection efficiency. The CC enables precise reconstruction of shower trajectories and provides valuable data on cosmic rays' composition and energy distribution. PBR’s sub-orbital altitude is particularly advantageous for these measurements, offering a unique vantage point that bridges the observational gap between ground-based and space-based instruments. Additionally, the CC will play a critical role in neutrino searches, detecting tau-lepton decay showers from Earth-skimming neutrinos associated with astrophysical transients. By integrating the CC with fluorescence and radio detection systems, PBR will pioneer a multi-messenger approach to high-energy cosmic phenomena, refining observational techniques for future space-based missions.

This contribution will describe the current status of the development of the CC as well as its expected performance.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.22323/1.501.0391
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