Extracting first science measurements from the southern detector of the Pierre Auger observatory
Abstract
The world's largest cosmic-ray detector is nearing completion in the remote Pampas of Argentina. This instrument measures extensive air-showers with energies from 1018-1020 eV and beyond. A surface detector array of area 3000 km2 records the lateral distribution of charged particles at ground level. A fluorescence detector overlooking the surface detector records the longitudinal light profiles of showers in the atmosphere to make a calorimetric energy measurement. A ``test beam'' for the fluorescence detector is generated by a calibrated laser near the array center. This talk will focus on detector characterizations essential to the first science results that have been reported from the observatory. Plans to construct a larger instrument in the northern hemisphere will also be outlined.
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