New technologies for the Pierre Auger observatory - Research and development in southeastern colorado
Fred Sarazin, Colorado School of Mines
Pierre Auger, Pierre Auger Observatory
S. Collonges, APC - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
B. Courty, APC - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
M. Daubenspeck, Colorado School of Mines
A. Gauḿe, Colorado School of Mines
B. Ǵenolini, Institut de Physique Nucléaire Orsay
L. Guglielmi, APC - AstroParticule et Cosmologie
M. A. Hevinga, University of Groningen, KVI - Center for Advanced Radiation Technolog (KVI-CART)
J. Hodgson, Michigan Technological University
J. Hollenbeck, Michigan Technological University
K. Kuhn, Colorado School of Mines
M. Malinowski, Colorado School of Mines
M. Marton, Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie de Grenoble
M. Maskevics, Michigan Technological University
K. Nelson, Michigan Technological University
E. Rauly, Institut de Physique Nucléaire Orsay
S. Robinson, Colorado School of Mines
A. Rokos, Michigan Technological University
C. F. Speelman, University of Groningen, KVI - Center for Advanced Radiation Technolog (KVI-CART)
J. Thompson, Colorado School of Mines
T. Nguyen Trung, Institut de Physique Nucléaire Orsay
O. Wolf, Colorado School of Mines
J. Yadon, Michigan Technological University
Abstract
The Pierre Auger Research and Development Array is conceived as a test bed aiming at validating an improved and more cost-effective one-photomultiplier surface detector design and a new communication system. The array of ten surface detectors and ten communication-only stations is currently being deployed in southeastern Colorado and will be operated at least until mid-2012. It is configured in such a way to allow testing of the peer-to-peer communication protocol and the new surface detector electronics that features an enhanced dynamic range aimed at reducing the distance from the shower core where saturation is observed. Atmospheric monitoring developments are also ongoing at the site and are presented in a separate paper. These developments are expected to improve the performances of the southern site of the Pierre Auger Observatory and enable future enhancements.
