Latest Results from the Searches for Photons at the Highest Energies with the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory is the most sensitive detector to primary photons with energies above $0.2$ EeV providing unprecedented exposure to ultra-high-energy (UHE) cosmic rays and specifically to UHE photons. The Observatory measures extensive air showers using a hybrid technique that combines a fluorescence detector (FD) with a ground array of particle detectors (SD). The signatures of a photon-induced air shower are a larger atmospheric depth of the shower maximum ($X_\mathrm{max}$) and a steeper lateral distribution function, along with a lower number of muons with respect to the bulk of hadron-induced background. Using observables measured by the FD and SD, various photon searches in different energy bands are performed. These efforts have produced some of the most stringent upper limits on the diffuse fluxes of UHE photons. These limits place significant constraints on current models for the origin of UHE cosmic rays, highlighting the leading role of the Observatory in multimessenger astronomy at the highest energies. In this contribution, an overview of current activities related to the search for UHE photons is shown, using more than 15 years of data from the Pierre Auger Observatory. The latest results of the searches for diffuse fluxes of photons will be presented, as well as follow-up searches for UHE photons in association with transient events, such as gravitational wave events, will be summarized. Future perspectives, in light of the ongoing AugerPrime detector upgrade, will also be discussed, which aim to further enhance the Observatory's sensitivity to photons at the highest energies.
Authors
- Belén Andrada
- Pedro J. Costa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7476-7875)
- Zbigniew Szadkowski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2690-9912)
- Bruno L. Lago (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9672-0499)
- Carla Taricco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0129-5539)
- Giovanni Consolati (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3614-245X)
- Juan Manuel Gonzalez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9193-0921)
- S. Petrera (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6029-1255)
- Varada Varma Kizakke Covilakam (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5278-3172)
- T. Pierog (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7472-8710)
- G. Sigl (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4396-645X)
- Mateo Fernandez
- T. Huege (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2783-4772)
- Nicolas Leal
- Carmina Pérez Bertolli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9790-5732)
- Carlo Salvattore Cruz Sanchez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-6173-0974)
- Frank Schröder (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8495-7210)
- Gustavo Medina‐Tanco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3202-319X)
- A. C. Fauth (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7239-0288)
- Enrico Arnone (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6740-5051)
- Enrique Varela (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0715-7513)
- O. Schölten (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3649-1254)
- Lorenzo Cazon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6748-8395)
- B. R. Dawson (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4271-3055)
- Matteo Conte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9932-224X)
- A. Haungs (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9638-7574)
- Dalibor Nosek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6219-200X)
- G. Parente (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2847-0461)
- Paula Gina Isar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1241-584X)
- Janning Meinert (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7582-3456)
- Emanuele De Vito (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2045-7588)
- Dušan Mandát (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7748-7468)
- Adila Abdul Halim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1218-1737)
- Gonzalo Rodriguez Fernandez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4683-230X)
- Jiří Blažek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5870-8947)
- Therese Paulsen
- Adriel Bartz Mocellin
- Berenika Čermáková
- S. J. de Jong (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3120-3367)
- Alexey Yushkov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5107-9116)
- K. Daumiller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0527-4823)
- A. Insolia (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9040-1566)
- Lorenzo Caccianiga (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2245-5108)
- Darko Veberič (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2683-1526)
- María Isabel Micheletti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1063-9938)
- A. Segreto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7341-6603)
- L. Nellen (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1059-8731)
- Felicia Barbato (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0751-6731)
- Jan Pękala
- Alexandra Ramos Fernandes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2054-4438)
- Katarína Simkova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2363-9846)
- R. Caruso (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1622-8731)
- I. Allekotte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9624-3044)
- F. Sarazin (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5614-1986)
- Luis A. Núñez
- Chaitanya Priyadarshi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9160-9617)
- M. Cristinziani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3893-9171)
- E. Zas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4430-8117)
- Clara Keiko Oliveira Watanabe
- Roberta Colalillo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4179-9352)
- M. Hrabovský (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4223-7316)
- L. Miramonti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2808-5363)
- F. Simon (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5978-0289)
- F. Salamida (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9306-8447)
- P. Trávnı́ček (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1655-9584)
- Benjamin Flaggs (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5549-1869)
- Michael Unger
- A. D. Supanitsky (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6942-6216)
- Maximilian Straub
- R. Mussa (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0294-9071)
- Camilla Petrucci
- Federico Maria Mariani
- Fiona H. Ellwanger
- J. Vícha (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7945-3605)
- Jaime Álvarez-Muñiz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2367-0803)
- Олена Ткаченко (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6382-6390)
- Denise Boncioli (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1186-9353)
- L. Chytka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5741-259X)
- Martin Vacula (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4844-3962)
- Miguel A. Martins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7294-6204)
- F. Guarino (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1427-9885)
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- Shima Ujjani Shivashankara
- P. Abreu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9973-7314)
- Tobias Schulz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4208-2599)
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- M. Palatka (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2061-6059)
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- Antoine Letessier-Selvon
- K. S. Caballero‐Mora (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4042-3855)
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- Bjarni Pont (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2578-5364)
- Simone Rossoni
- S. Buitink (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6177-497X)
- Juan Ammerman Yebra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2059-6206)
- Violet M. Harvey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6764-4789)
- Hermann-Josef Mathes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0680-040X)
- P. Mantsch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8382-7745)
- Rukije Uzeiroska
- Lorenzo Perrone (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8380-9643)
- Nicolás Martín González (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6566-2222)
- Nicolas San Martin
- Corinne Bérat (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8294-6294)
- Zuzana Svozilikova (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5210-0781)
- Maximilian Stadelmaier (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7943-6012)
- P. Assis (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7765-3606)
- F. Montanet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9787-596X)
- Mohit Saharan
- T. Hebbeker (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9736-266X)
- M. Mallamaci (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4068-0496)
- Alena Bakalová (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1001-4484)
- Peter L. Biermann (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3948-6143)
- Jan Ebr (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8807-6162)
- Anthony Bwembya (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6995-5978)
- J. A. Chinellato (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1236-0789)
- Jorge Caraça-Valente
- Agustín Cobos Cerutti
- David Schmidt (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2005-4244)
- Krzysztof Pytel (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2937-7886)
- R. Conceição (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4945-5340)
- C. Bonifazi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3087-3609)
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- Jon Paul Lundquist (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4245-5092)
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- Edyvânia Emily Pereira Martins (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1167-8314)
- Fridtjof Feldbusch
- S. Vorobiov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8679-3424)
- Alexander Novikov (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1086-7252)
- Emanuele Avocone (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3757-2718)
- H. Wilczyński (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2652-9685)
- Antonio Ambrosone (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-9942-1029)
- Pranav Sampathkumar
- Patricia María Hansen
- A. Gorgi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8085-2304)
- F. de Palma (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5898-2834)
- V. de Souza (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0865-233X)
- Esteban Roulet (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1478-9260)
- S. Dasso (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7680-4721)
- Italo Epicoco (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6408-1335)
- Leo Östman
- Fabio Convenga (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2841-1034)
- J. Matthews (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1832-4420)
- Fernando Catalani (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9332-1476)
- Adrian Sedoski (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4253-3361)
- Radomir Šmída (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0122-1123)
- Joaquín de Jesús (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4741-1769)
- Milton Freitas
- Jose A. Bellido (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0833-9194)
- Kathrin Bismark (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8637-7041)
- Adrián Rovero (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6979-5604)
- D. Góra (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4853-5974)
- J. Řídký (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6697-1393)
- B. Keilhauer (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4494-1155)
- Stef Verpoest (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3031-3206)
- Katharine Mulrey (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8026-8020)
- Mario Buscemi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2123-5434)
- Wilson M. Namasaka
- Vincent Pelgrims (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5053-3847)
- Chloé Gaudu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2803-4873)
- Yago Lema-Capeans
- Carmen Merx
- Mohsen Pourmohammad Shahvar
- Lukas Gülzow (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-0620-3525)
- Shayoni Panja
- Simon Strähnz
- Sergio Cabana-Freire
- Alessandro Cermenati
- Nikolas Denner
- Beatriz de Errico (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0002-4212-0708)
- João Vítor Reginatto Akim (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8179-9747)
- Fedor Tairli
- Alex Reuzki
- Tim Fehler
- Eric William Mayotte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2618-9166)
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- Teresa Bister (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4005-0857)
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- Ralph Engel
- Juan Carlos D'Olivo
- Juan Pallotta
- Alejandro Almela
- Alberto Etchegoyen
- Humberto Ibarguen Salazar
- Rita Cassia dos Anjos
- Germano Guedes
- Analisa Mariazzi
- Ezequiel Rodriguez
- Luca Deval
- Marvin Gottowik
- Stanislav Michal
- Johannes Blümer
- Jelena Köhler
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- Antonino Del Popolo
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- Danilo Zavrtanik
- Fernando Gollan
- Luis Miguel Domingues Mendes
- Edivaldo Moura Santos
- Lukáš Vaclavek
- Isabelle Lhenry-Yvon
- Federico Andrés Sánchez
- Carlos Hojvat
- Qader Dorosti (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9711-0609)
- Bernardo Tomé
- Felix Riehn
- Charles Timmermans
- Paul Filip
- Antonio Bueno
- A. Filipčič (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5671-1555)
- Marco Aglietta
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- Josina Schulte
- Toshihiro Fujii
- Luan Bonneau Arbeletche (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3087-3609)
- Thomas Fitoussi
- Carmelo Evoli
- Harm Schoorlemmer
- Mariano Gómez Berisso
- Roger W Clay
- Margita Kubátová
- Melanie Weitz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0001-9010-9610)
- A. A. Watson
- Primo F. Gómez Vitale
- Rogerio M. de Almeida
- Glennys R. Farrar
- Martina Boháčová
- Niklas Langner
- R. Sarmento (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-5018-5467)
- Pavel Horváth (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6710-5339)
- G. Marsella (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3152-8874)
- Nataliia Borodai (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1864-937X)
- Cristina Galea
- Kévin Almeida Cheminant (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6352-5339)
- Miroslav Pech
- Martin Schimassek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4295-7719)
- Jose F. Valdés Galicia
- H. Schieler (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-2637-4778)
- Andreas Weindl
- Sergio J Sciutto (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1148-3231)
- Petr Tobiska (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4017-2475)
- Lawrence Wiencke
- Jorge Rubén Rodriguez Rojo
- Daniele Martello
- Adriana Vásquez-Ramírez
- Florian Lukas Briechle
- Marcelo Augusto Leigui de Oliveira
- Ioana Codrina Maris
- Giorgio Matthiae
- Michael Prouza
- Marcos Cerda
- Vincenzo Rizi
- Valerio Verzi
- Michael Schimp
- Brian Wundheiler
- Laura Valore
- Mário Pimenta
- Piera Luisa Ghia
- P. Gabriel Brichetto Orchera
- Gaetano Salina
- Markus Risse
- Ruben Squartini
- Gabriela Nicora
- Achille Nucita
- Max Büsken
- Manuel Platino
- Antonella Castellina
- Corbin Covault
- Diego Correia dos Santos
- Brian Fick
- Hans Klages
- Silvia Mollerach
- Marko Zavrtanik
- Alan Fuster
- Vladimír Novotný
- Petr Janeček (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3501-7163)
- Virginia Binet
- Marina Scornavacche
- Alexander Menshikov
- C. Dobrigkeit
- Armando di Matteo
- Jörg Hörandel
- Indira D. Vergara Quispe
- Ricardo Sato
- Paul Sommers
- Cainã Oliveira
- Luis A. Anchordoqui (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1463-7136)
- Gualberto Avila
- Marta Bianciotto
- Steffen Hahn
- A. Săftoiu (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7903-6510)
- L. Lopes (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8571-0033)
- Patrick Stassi (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5584-8410)
- Abha Khakurdikar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-4857-5255)
- Sonja Mayotte (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8957-8033)
- Rodrigo Pelayo
- Fabian Gobbi
- Jonathan Biteau
- Baobiao Yue
- Paolo Privitera
- Lorenzo Apollonio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0008-5625-5893)
- Carla Aramo
- Srijan Sehgal
- Joao dos Anjos
- Roberto Aloisio
- Mario E. Bertaina
- Diego Melo
- Petr Hamal
- Pierpaolo Savina
- Vlastimil Jílek (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-5774-7285)
- Matías Rolf Hampel
- Veronika Vašíčková
- Ugo GIACCARI
- J. Rautenberg
- Norbert Kunka
- Juan Carlos Arteaga Velázquez
- Viviana Scherini
- Luiz Augusto Pereira
- Sara Martinelli
- Heino Falcke
- Geraldina Golup
- Diego Ravignani
- Jaime de Oliveira
- Petr Schovanek
- Jannis Pawlowsky
- Olivier Deligny
- Danelise de Oliveira Franco
- Juan Manuel Figueira
- Federico Campuzano
- Frederik Krieger
- Sven Querchfeld
- Karl-Heinz Kampert
- Matthias Kleifges
- Sofia Andringa
- Samo Stanič
- Alex Tapia
- Gabriella Cataldi
- Luciana Andrade Dourado
- Tomáš Fodran (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0000-9529-0853)
- Matias Jorge Tueros (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-1570-1419)
- Megha Mogarkar
- Jhansi Bhavani Vuta
- Eric-Teunis de Boone
- Mohamed Ismaiel
- Karolina Syrokvas
- Matteo Tambone
- Pim van Dillen
Publication Details
- Published
- 2025-09-23
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.22323/1.501.0965
- Primary Topic
- Dark Matter and Cosmic Phenomena
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00
Funders
- Strong
- Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas
- Agencia Nacional de Promoción Científica y Tecnológica