Speaker
Dr
Lorenzo Perrone
(University of Salento and INFN Sezione di Lecce (Italy))
Description
The Pierre Auger Observatory has been designed to investigate the origin and the
nature of Ultra High Energy Cosmic Rays using a hybrid detection technique. It is
located on a plateau in the Province of Mendoza, Argentina, and it consists of a
surface array of about 3000 km^2 overlooked by 24 air fluorescence telescopes grouped
in 4 sites, which together provide a powerful instrument for air shower reconstruction.
The combination of information from the surface array, measuring the lateral
distributions of secondary particles at the ground, and the fluorescence telescopes,
observing the longitudinal profile, enhances
the reconstruction capability with respect to the individual detector components.
The Observatory was completed in 2008 and it is taking data smoothly since 2004.
Moreover, detector enhancements are being constructed to extend the sensitivity of
the Observatory towards the lower energies.
A review of selected results is presented with the emphasis given to the measurement
of energy spectrum, arrival directions, chemical composition and search for photons
and neutrinos as primary particles.
Primary author
Dr
Lorenzo Perrone
(University of Salento and INFN Sezione di Lecce (Italy))
