AUGER

Collaboration

- INFN: Catania, Milano, Napoli, Pavia, Roma 2 and Torino
- The AUGER project is a large international effort: at present the following countries participate to the project: Argentina, Australia, Bolivia, Brazil, China, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Mexico, Poland, Slovenia, United Kingdom and United States.

Laboratory: Malargue (Argentina)

National Responsible: G. Matthiae (Roma2)

1. Goal of the experiment.

The Pierre Auger Observatory is an international scientific project with the objective of studying the highest energy cosmic rays.

Cosmic rays of energy of the order of 1020 eV have been observed. The origin and accelerating process of these particles is still unknown.

Their rate is extremely low. One expects approximately one cosmic ray arriving on an area of one km2 per century.

In order to collect a significant statistics, the Pierre Auger Observatory covers an area of 3000 km2

More on the experiment...

2.

Activities during 2001

The design of both the surface detector and the fluorescence detector has been finalized.

The first infrastructure on the site have been built built . This includes the Central Building and the building on the small hill "Los Leones" which will house the first 6 fluorescence telescopes.

The construction of the detectors for the Engineering Array is completed.

The Engineering Array is made of 40 water Cherenkov tanks and 2 fluorescence telescopes. These two telescopes have been installed and are taking data.

The milestones related to the above indicated issues have been fulfilled.

The INFN groups contribute to the fluorescence detectors of the Engineering Array by providing the following equipment.

- one complete mirror system
- the UV trasmitting filters for both telescopes
- the camera with light concentrators for both telescopes
- all PMTs with head electronics
- the front-end analog boards

Milestones 2002

Installation and start of the data taking of the final 4 fluorescence telescopes at Los Leones | 8-08-2002
Installation, commissioning and start of the data taking of the 6 telescopes at Coihueco. | 12-12-2002
Construction of the High Voltage system for 1/4 of the SD. | 12-12-2002
Database of simulated high energy cosmic ray showers | 12-12-2002

3. INFN contribution in terms of manpower and financial support.

Manpower: 43 physicists (28.1 FTE), 10 technicians (2.9 FTE).

Budget for the Year 2002: 1665 kEuro

4. Publications on refereed journals:

5. Conference Talks: 4

6. Number of undergraduate and doctoral thesis.

n. 1 PhD

n. 9 Laurea degree

7. Leadership role in the experiment.

- D. Camin: task leader of the fluorescence detector electronics
- R. Cester: member Committee referees of the MOUs
- G. Matthiae: member of the AUGER Advisory Group
- P. Privitera: task leader fluorescence detector camera

8. Innovative instruments.

Current monitor with optoelectronic device to measure the anode current of the PMTs which are run with grounded photocathode (D.Camin, Milano)

Camera Tracer — an event simulator made of a 440 LED matrix controlled by computer to test the camera of the FD (G.Salina, Roma II).

9. Competing experiments.

It is fair to say that there are at present no competing experiments. Present surface arrays and fluorescence telescope systems have acceptance one or two orders of magnitude less than the Auger Observatory.

Competition may arise in the future from experiments with fluorescence telescopes on satellites (Airwatch).

10. International Committe which has reviewd the experiment

The Auger project is a wide international effort. It has been reviewed by several national Committees in all participating Countries (for example by Sagenap in USA).

In addition every few months the Auger management organizes a "Critical Design Review" with participation of distinguished physicists to critically review the progress of the project on its different aspects.