Enhancements to the IceCube TAXI DAQ for Radio Measurements of Cosmic-Ray Air Showers with SKALA Antennas

Cosmic rays, high-energy particles from space, are detected by ground-based arrays observing particle cascades from atmospheric interactions. Radio antennas offer insights into air showers, providing data to reconstruct shower energy and the depth of maximum development (X_max), crucial for identifying cosmic ray types and understanding astrophysical acceleration processes. The IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the South Pole features a surface array, IceTop, for cosmic ray detection. A prototype station for an enhancement of IceTop is equipped with scintillation panels and radio antennas. The goal is to lower the detection threshold to hundreds of TeV, improve energy calibration, and the accuracy for air-shower measurements.

Such a prototype station is operating at the Pierre Auger Observatory, with plans to implement additional antennas. To ensure precise measurements and a reliable detection system, hardware configurations are being tested at a rooftop model station at the University of Delaware. Efforts to enhance measurement accuracy include improving the firmware of the TAXI data acquisition system, a universal platform for diverse cosmic ray experiments that supports specialized hardware for prototype stations.