1. Satellite Data for Atmospheric Monitoring at the Pierre Auger ObservatoryA. Puyleart, Andrej Filipčič, Jon Paul Lundquist, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, Lukas Zehrer, 2022, published scientific conference contribution Abstract: Atmospheric monitoring over the 3000 km^2 of the Pierre Auger Observatory can be supplemented by satellite data. Methods for night-time cloud detection and aerosol cross-checking were created using the GOES-16 and Aeolus satellites, respectively. The geostationary GOES-16 satellite provides a 100% up-time view of the cloud cover over the observatory. GOES-13 was used until the end of 2017 for cloud monitoring, but with its retirement a method based on GOES-16 data was developed. The GOES-16 cloud detection method matches the observatory’s vertical laser cloud detection method at a rate of ∼90%. The Aeolus satellite crosses the Pierre Auger Observatory several times throughout the year firing UV-laser shots. The laser beams leave a track of scattered light in the atmosphere that can be observed by the light sensors of the observatory fluorescence telescopes. Using a parametric model of the aerosol concentration, the laser shots can be reconstructed with different combinations of the aerosol parameters. A minimization procedure then yields the parameter set that best describes the aerosol attenuation. Furthermore, the possibility of studying horizontal homogeneity of aerosols across the array is being investigated.
Keywords: Pierre Auger Observatory, indirect detection, fluorescence detection, ultra-high energy, cosmic rays, atmospheric monitoring, satellite monitoring, cloud detection, aerosols, UV laser shots
Published in RUNG: 04.10.2023; Views: 753; Downloads: 6
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2. Study of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Ray composition using Telescope Array’s Middle Drum detector and surface array in hybrid modeR.U. Abbasi, Jon Paul Lundquist, 2015, original scientific article Abstract: Previous measurements of the composition of Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays (UHECRs) made by the High Resolution Fly’s Eye (HiRes) and Pierre Auger Observatory (PAO) are seemingly contradictory, but utilize different detection methods, as HiRes was a stereo detector and PAO is a hybrid detector. The five year Telescope Array (TA) Middle Drum hybrid composition measurement is similar in some, but not all, respects in methodology to PAO, and good agreement is evident between data and a light, largely protonic, composition when comparing the measurements to predictions obtained with the QGSJetII-03 and QGSJet-01c models. These models are also in agreement with previous HiRes stereo measurements, confirming the equivalence of the stereo and hybrid methods. The data is incompatible with a pure iron composition, for all models examined, over the available range of energies. The elongation rate and mean values of are in good agreement with Pierre Auger Observatory data. This analysis is presented using two methods: data cuts using simple geometrical variables and a new pattern recognition technique.
Keywords: Ultra-High Energy Cosmic Rays, Cosmic ray composition, Atmospheric fluorescence, Extensive air shower array, Hybrid, Telescope Array
Published in RUNG: 24.04.2020; Views: 2954; Downloads: 0
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3. Studies in the atmospheric monitoring at the Pierre Auger Observatory using the upgraded Central Laser FacilityCarlos Medina-Hernandez, Andrej Filipčič, Gašper Kukec Mezek, Ahmed Saleh, Samo Stanič, Marta Trini, Darko Veberič, Serguei Vorobiov, Lili Yang, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, 2015, published scientific conference contribution 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: Pierre Auger Observatory, extensive air showers, the Fluorescence Detector, atmospheric monitoring, vertical aerosol optical depth, the Central Laser Facility, the eXtreme Laser Facility
Published in RUNG: 03.03.2016; Views: 4883; Downloads: 182
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