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Mini-Symposium: Centre for Cosmological Physics
4 October 2002
Status of the Pierre Auger Observatory and Future Prospects
Alan WatsonUniversity of Leeds and CfCP
Status of Infra Structure
March 1999: Ground Breaking Ceremony Only a plaque
November 2000: Assembly Building
May 2001: Fluorescence Building at Los Leones
November 2001: Office Building
May 2002: Fluorescence Building at Coihueco
Assembly Building, Malargue
Office Building, Malargue
Status of Tanks
• 32 Tanks now operating This will be the target status until pre-production tanks and unified board electronics are available late this year• First coincidences: July 2001
• Stable operation of 32 tanks since May 2002
• Water stability proven at an important level!
Carmen and Miranda
Composition of shower at 900 m @ 1019 eV
A tank was opened at the ‘end of project’ party on 31 July 1987. The water shown had been in the tank for 25 years but was quite drinkable!
# 207116: zenith angle = 13°
FADC traces for #207116
An 11-fold Event 184599 = 54 (1000m) = 7 VEM/m2
4 Stations of the 11-fold event
Status of Communications
Signals are sent from autonomous tanks by a purpose-designed radio link (951 MHz) viaantenna mounted on 40 m masts (three of 5 have now been constructed) to the central Office Building
Data are gathered from the watertanks using a purpose builtWireless LAN, based on cellulartelephone technology. Signalsare sent to the antennae on the tower and then by conventionalmicrowave links to the computerin Malargue.
It is decided whether a group oftanks has interesting data. If so, more detailed information is requested and then transmitted.
Status of Fluorescence Detectors
• Two cameras and two mirrors in operation from mid-2001
• Prototypes removed from Los Leones
• Installation of 6 final cameras in LL under way
• Coihueco detector building completed and installation of mirrors etc started
Fluorescence detector at Los Leones
Status of Hybrid Approach
• ~80 events recorded between November 2001 and March 2002
• Work has started on cross-calibration
• Only a few events so far where an independent estimate of energy can be made with SD -but things look pretty good.
This is clearly a major data product from the Observatory - DON’T RUSH US FOR ANSWER!
Potential of the Observatory
• Directions
• Energy
• Mass- photons
- neutrinos- protons or iron
Approaches to identifying photons
Other methods
• fewer muons
• geomagnetic effects
• pulse shape
• inclined showers
Photon potential of inclined showers
Maximo Ave: 80°, proton at 1019 eV Details in Ave, Vazquez and Zas, Astroparticle Physics
Ave et al. PRL 85 2244 2000
Potential of the Observatory
• Directions
• Energy
• Mass- photons
- neutrinos - protons or iron? HARDER
“We remain with the dilemma: protons versus heavy nuclei. A clear cut decision cannot be reached yet. I believe that up to the highest energies the protons are the most abundant in the primary cosmic rays. However, I must confess that a leak proof test of the protonic nature of the primaries at the highest energies does not exist. This is a very important problem. Experimentally it is quite a difficult problem.”
G Cocconi: Fifth International Cosmic Ray Conference, Guanajuato, Mexico, 1955
Timescale to Completion
• April 2003: Pre-production array
• EA plus ~100 tanks with Mark II electronics Area ~130 km2
- the largest ever operated, and in Southern Hemisphere: significant science potential
• 2004: Completion of 4 FD systems
• 2005: Completion of SD
Problems that remain
Lack of money to complete surface detectorsand final FD building
Sufficient for ~ half of tanks + 3 FD
MUST have funding for 3000 km2 in placebefore proceeding with Auger-N
MUST have a northern site to complete Observatory
Future Additional Activities• Fluorescence Yield Measurement • EUSO cross-calibration
• Add scintillators?
• New techniques e.g. radio, a natural place to test new ideas
• Raising more money
Summary Advertisement
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UHECR prospects:
The future’s BRIGHT, the future’s Auger!
