Multi-Wavelength Scanning Raman Lidar Simulations for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

J.V. PALLOTTA; P.R. RISTORI; L.A. OTERO; A. ETCHEGOYEN; E. QUEL

Workshop; VII Workshop on Lidar Measurements in Latin-America; 2014

This  paper  discusses  the  multi-wavelength  scanning  Raman  lidar  being  built  at  Lidar  Division, CEILAP  (CITEDEF-CONICET)  in  the  frame  of  the  Argentinean  CTA (Cherenkov  Telescope  Array) collaboration. CTA is an initiative to build the next generation of ground-based instruments to collect very high energy gamma-ray radiation (greater than a few tens of GeV). The atmospheric conditions are of major interest to CTA, and lidars are requested to acquire atmospheric profiles fast, accurately and in the line of sight of the event. Due to the expected low aerosol optical depth of the future site, the short observation period as well as the extension of the observation, an enhanced collection area is required. Based on this constraints, and energy laser pulse, a backscatter lidar signal simulation was performed to estimate the main characteristics of the system. To derive these features, a SNR (signal-to-noise ratio)  was also simulated to derive the total number of mirrors to achieve a good quality  signal  over  the  whole  tropopause.  Raman  capabilities  were  added  in  the  UV  and  VIS wavelengths  to  retrieve  the  spectral  characteristics  of  the  aerosol  extinction  and  the  water  vapor profile. The results of the simulation, and the main characteristics derived are shown.