Pierre Auger Cosmic
Ray Observatory
The Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory is being developed to detect cosmic rays at the highest energies (>1020 eV). When completed, the array will contain 1600 surface detectors to monitor 3000 square kilometers. At the same time that the ground sensors collect data, an optical detector records light from atmospheric fluorescence. With observatories in both hemispheres, the Auger collaboration will have the opportunity to detect cosmic rays across the entire sky. One site is now under construction in Mendoza, Argentina and the second will be located in Utah's Millard County, south of Delta and west of Fillmore. The data from this array will be used to identify the sources of the most energetic cosmic rays and how they are formed. Auger is part of a larger program on Particle Astrophysics in the Departments of Astronomy and Astrophysics and Physics.