Carlos Medina-Hernandez (Author), Andrej Filipčič (Author), Gašper Kukec Mezek (Author), A. Saleh (Author), Samo Stanič (Author), M. Trini (Author), Darko Veberič (Author), Serguei Vorobiov (Author), Lili Yang (Author), Danilo Zavrtanik (Author), Marko Zavrtanik (Author)

Abstract

The Fluorescence Detector (FD) at the Pierre Auger Observatory measures the intensity of the scattered light from laser tracks generated by the Central Laser Facility (CLF) and the eXtreme Laser Facility (XLF) to monitor and estimate the vertical aerosol optical depth (τ(z,t)). This measurement is needed to obtain unbiased and reliable FD measurements of the arrival direction and energy of the primary cosmic ray, and the depth of the maximum shower development. The CLF was upgraded substantially in 2013 with the addition of a solid state laser, new generation GPS, a robotic beam calibration system, better thermal and dust isolation, and improved software. The upgrade also included a back-scatter Raman LIDAR to measure τ(z,t). The new features and applications of the upgraded instrument are described. These include the laser energy calibration and the atmospheric monitoring measurements. The first τ(z,t) results and comparisons after the upgrade are presented using different methods. The first method compares the FD hourly response to the scattered light from the CLF (or XLF) against a reference hourly profile measured during a clear night where zero aerosol contents are assumed. The second method simulates FD responses with different atmospheric parameters and selects the parameters that provide the best fit to the actual FD response. A third method uses the new Raman LIDAR receiver in-situ to measure the back-scatter light from the CLF laser. The results show a good data agreement for the first and second methods using FD stations located at the same distance from the facilities. Preliminary results of τ(z,t) using the Raman LIDAR are presented as well.

Keywords

extensive air showers;fluorescence detectors;atmospheric monitoring;vertical aerosol optical depth;Central Laser Facility;extreme Laser Facility;Pierre Auger Observatory;

Data

Language: English
Year of publishing:
Typology: 1.08 - Published Scientific Conference Contribution
Organization: UNG - University of Nova Gorica
UDC: 539.1
COBISS: 4153851 Link will open in a new window
ISSN: 1824-8039
Views: 4096
Downloads: 180
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Other data

URN: URN:SI:UNG
Type (COBISS): Not categorized
Pages: 8 str.
Chronology: 2015
ID: 9128178