The Central Laser Facility at the Pierre Auger Observatory
نویسندگان
چکیده
The Central Laser Facility is located near the middle of the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina. It features a UV laser and optics that direct a beam of calibrated pulsed light into the sky. Light scattered from this beam produces tracks in the Auger optical detectors which normally record nitrogen fluorescence tracks from cosmic ray air showers. The Central Laser Facility provides a ”test beam” to investigate properties of the atmosphere and the fluorescence detectors. The laser can send light via optical fiber simultaneously to the nearest surface detector tank for hybrid timing analyses. We describe the facility and show some examples of its many uses.
منابع مشابه
Techniques for Measuring Aerosol Attenuation using the Central Laser Facility at the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory in Malargüe, Argentina, is designed to study the properties of ultra-high energy cosmic rays with energies above 1018 eV. It is a hybrid facility that employs a Fluorescence Detector to perform nearly calorimetric measurements of Extensive Air Shower energies. To obtain reliable calorimetric information from the FD, the atmospheric conditions at the observatory need...
متن کاملAtmospheric ”Super Test Beam” for the Pierre Auger Observatory
We present results from 200 hours of operation of an atmospheric super test beam system developed for the Pierre Auger Observatory. The approximate optical equivalence is that of a 100 EeV air shower. This new system combines a Raman backscatter LIDAR receiver with a calibrated pulsed UV laser system to generate a test beam in which the number of photons in the beam can be determined at ground ...
متن کاملPierre Auger Observatory and Telescope Array : Joint Contributions to the 34 th International Cosmic Ray Conference ( ICRC 2015 ) The Telescope Array Collaboration
The Pierre Auger Observatory (Auger) in Mendoza, Argentina and the Telescope Array (TA) inUtah, USA aim at unraveling the origin and nature of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECR).At present, there appear to be subtle differences between Auger and TA results and interpretations.Joint working groups have been established and have already reported preliminary findings. Froman...
متن کامل30TH INTERNATIONAL COSMIC RAY CONFERENCE Systematic study of atmosphere-induced influences and uncertainties on shower re- construction at the Pierre Auger Observatory
A wide range of atmospheric monitoring instruments is employed at the Pierre Auger Observatory : two laser facilities, elastic lidar stations, aerosol phase function monitors, a horizontal attenuation monitor, star monitors, weather stations, and balloon soundings. We describe the impact of analyzed atmospheric data on the accuracy of shower reconstructions, and in particular study the effect o...
متن کاملThe importance of atmospheric monitoring at the Pierre Auger Observatory
The Pierre Auger Observatory is an ultra-high energy cosmic ray experiment employing a giant surface array of particle detectors together with telescopes to image fluorescence light from extensive air showers in the atmosphere. The atmosphere is the medium in which the incoming cosmic rays deposit their energy, and as a result we must monitor the characteristics of the atmosphere, including its...
متن کامل