Extreme Universe Space Observatory- EUSO: an innovative project for the detection of extreme energy Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos.

Summary. | The detection of extreme energy Cosmic Rays and Neutrinos is the challenge of the future generation experiments in Astroparticle Physics. To extend our knowledge on the origin of the highest energy cosmic rays and our understand-ing of particle interactions for E> 10 20 eV, we need the use of a detector with an eective area many times that of the today operative or planned experiments. The Extreme Universe Space Observatory- EUSO meets this requirement and is the rst experiment using the observation from a space-platform of the Earth at-mosphere which behaves like an active detector for these extreme energy primary events. The air uorescence of the Extensive Air Showers produced by primary particles penetrating the Earth atmosphere is imaged by the EUSO telescope as the UV light progresses down through the atmosphere. A novel approach based on the single-photon counting and fast timing image technique permits to resolve ar-rival direction, energy and nature of the primary Cosmic Ray. The EUSO telescope conception, detection technique, system electronics and operating parameters are evaluated and discussed in this paper together with the planned mission prole and the operational performance expected. PACS 96.40 { cosmic rays. PACS 13.85.T { high energy interactions. PACS 95.30 { astrophysics, fundamentals. PACS 98.80 { cosmology