Search for Gamma Ray Bursts using the single particle technique at the Pierre Auger Observatory

Abstract

The Pierre Auger Observatory, with an array of currently more than 1200 Cherenkov detectors filled with 12 m$^3$ of water, can detect the putative high energy emission of a GRB (photons down to a few hundreds of MeV) by the so-called ``single particle technique'', through a coherent increase in the average background particle rates over the whole array, due to secondary particles in the photon-induced showers. We present a search for bursts on data collected since September 2005, as well as a search for excesses in coincidence with bursts observed by satellites.