Systematic effects in the measurement of vertical aerosol profiles at the Pierre Auger Observatory
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Date
2016
Authors
Malacari, Maximus Dominic
Editors
Advisors
Dawson, Bruce Robert
Bellido Caceres, Jose Alfredo
Bellido Caceres, Jose Alfredo
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Theses
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Abstract
The Pierre Auger Observatory, located on the high plains of western Argentina, is the result of an international effort to measure the properties of the highest energy cosmic rays with an unprecedented level of precision and statistical significance. The Pierre Auger Observatory is a hybrid detector, consisting of a surface array detecting shower particles reaching ground level, as well as a fluorescence detector which observes the longitudinal development of showers in the atmosphere. One of the distinct advantages of using a hybrid method to detect cosmic ray air showers is that events detected and reconstructed by the fluorescence detector can be used to calibrate the energy determination of the nearly 100% duty cycle surface detector. As such, the fluorescence detector sets the energy scale of the entire Observatory, and it is essential that its energy determination and associated uncertainties are well understood. In this thesis we investigate a number of systematic uncertainties in the determination of the aerosol loading in the atmosphere above the Observatory. Accurate knowledge of the vertical distribution of aerosols at the Auger site is essential for the accurate reconstruction of shower energy deposit profiles using the fluorescence technique. In this work we focus on three independent systematic effects that have a non-negligible impact on the reconstructed aerosol loading above the Observatory: the determination of nights on which the atmosphere is completely aerosol free, the aerosol scattering of light out of a vertically directed laser beam, and the multiple scattering of that laser light on molecules and aerosol particles on its way to the detector.
School/Discipline
School of Physical Sciences
Dissertation Note
Thesis (Ph.D.) -- University of Adelaide, School of Physical Sciences, 2016.
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This electronic version is made publicly available by the University of Adelaide in accordance with its open access policy for student theses. Copyright in this thesis remains with the author. This thesis may incorporate third party material which has been used by the author pursuant to Fair Dealing exceptions. If you are the owner of any included third party copyright material you wish to be removed from this electronic version, please complete the take down form located at: http://www.adelaide.edu.au/legals