The Lidar system of the Pierre Auger Observatory

S.Y. BENZVI; R. CESTER; M. CHIOSSO; B.M. CONNOLLY; A. FILIPCIC; B. GARCÍA; A. GRILLO; F. GUARINO; M. HORVAT; M. IARLORI; C. MACOLINO; J.A.J. MATTHEWS; D. MELO; R. MUSSA; M. MOSTAFÁ; J. PALLOTA; S. PETRERA; M. PROUZA; V. RIZI; M. ROBERTS; J.R. RODRIGUEZ ROJO; F. SALAMIDA; M. SANTANDER; G. SEQUEIROS; A. TONACHINI; L. VALORE; D. VEBERIC; S. WESTERHOFF; D. ZAVRTANIK; M. ZAVRTANIK

Nuclear Instruments & Methods in Physics Research Section A

Elsevier

Año: 2007 vol. 574 p. 171 - 184

0168-9002

The Pierre Auger Observatory in Malargüe, Argentina, is designed to study the origin of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays with energies above 1018 eV. The energy calibration of the detector is based on a system of four air fluorescence detectors. To obtain reliable calorimetric information from the fluorescence stations, the atmospheric conditions at the experiment’s site need to be monitored continuously during operation. One of the components of the observatory’s atmospheric monitoring system is a set of four elastic backscatter lidar stations, one station at each of the fluorescence detector sites. This paper describes the design, current status, standard operation procedure, and performance of the lidar system of the Pierre Auger Observatory.