In 2023 Paul M Mantsch wrote this short history of the huge Pierre Auger Observatory. His objective was to preserve the history of the Observatory in the argentine pampa amarilla but also to make our experience and lessons learned available to others planning international science projects.

After nearly a century of study, the mysterious origin of the highest-energy cosmic rays continues to elude scientists. Solving this mystery is almost certain to bring new and more profound understanding of the nature of the universe. This book tells the story of the Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory, conceived and built by a unique international collaboration of researchers in Argentina in pursuit of this mystery.

This is still a work in progress - currently the third edition is available as a paperback that has been published on Amazon: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Paul-M-Mantsch/dp/1794632581. The author would appreciate any feedback you may have. In case you plan to stop by the observatory: there is also a copy in the Auger library in Malargüe.

Paul Mantsch is best known as the former principal science manager at the Pierre Auger Observatory. Paul Mantsch was chiefly responsible for drafting the documents that formed the basis for the facility's funding and construction, and he was entrusted with its design, construction and operation from 1995 to 2014. Well-regarded for his accomplishments across the span of more than four decades of achievement in the field of particle physics, Paul Mantsch distinguished himself through his work at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) for much of his career, beginning in 1973 and culminating with his retirement in 2015, whereupon he was granted the title of scientist emeritus.

Venue

Travel and Practical Information

photo: Municipalidad de Malargüe

Travel information

Transfers from airports will be organized, further details will follow shortly.

Visitors from neighboring countries only need their ID card to enter Argentina. Visitors from other countries must have a valid passport, with or without a visa (please check the official web pages of your government, local embassy or consulate). For more information on travel see on Travel Argentina (National Tourism Agency).

Getting there by plane + car/bus

• The closest International airports with intercontinental connections are the Ezeiza (EZE) airport in Buenos Aires, Argentina and the Arturo Merino Benítez (SCL) airport in Santiago, Chile. From Buenos Aires Ezeiza (EZE) or Aeroparque Jorge Newbery (AEP) you can book a fligh connection to San Rafael airport (AFA) or to Mendoza airport (MDZ). In case you need a transfer Ezeiza - Aeroparque or Retiro Bus Terminal please check Manuel Tienda Leon website or directly look for their front office at the Ezeiza terminal and book a transfer by bus or remis (taxi). From Santiago del Chile you can book the connection to Mendoza airport (MDZ).
• The journey to Malargüe lasts approx. 2.5 hs from San Rafael and 3.5 hs from Mendoza (recommended drive through the new RN40, turn right after the town of Pareditas and follow the signs to Malargüe, see picture and map). Transfers from airports will be organized. Bus and car rental are also an option, please refer to omnilineas and standard car rental companies. Google maps work well in Malargüe for finding your destination. If you arrive by bus, you might want to contact Rosa at the Observatory to help you to reserve a taxi to take you from the bus terminal in Malargüe to your hotel or cabaña.

Currency and banks

The local currency is the Argentinian peso (AR$). US dollars and euros are generally accepted in tourist oriented business, as well as credit cards (especially VISA and Master Card). Cash (dollars and euros) can be changed at banks and exchange houses. ATM are also available close to the main road, and apply a daily limit on withdrawals.

Telephone code

Area codes are 0054 for Argentina and 2604 for Malargüe.

Power plugs

Power sockets are type C (Euro) and I (Australian/NewZealand). The standard is 220 V 50 Hz.

General Safety Rules

Pickpocketing and bag-snatching may be common on crowded buses, metro, street markets, bus and airport terminals: keep a close look on your belongings and avoid showing off technological devices. Malargüe is generally a safe village, care should be taken while walking alone at night. Avoid leaving unattended laptops, jewellery, or money in the cabañas.

Health

No vaccinations are required for entry into Argentina. Tap water is often drinkable. Average temperatures in March range from 15° to 28°, with day-night thermal excursions: bring suitable clothing, a hat and sunscreen to avoid getting sunburned. Bites and stings from spiders and snakes are rare but can be painful and, in some case, convey infections and diseases. In this case immediately seek for medical treatment. Public hospitals are open 24 hours a day and available free of charge, even for tourists. Taking out a private travel insurance may be useful.

In case of emergency

Pierre Auger Observatory:
the Pierre Auger Observatory Headquarters are open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, providing overnight security service. For any emergency please contact the night watchman telephone number: +54  260 447 1556 (foreign mobile) - 0260 447 1556 (Argentinian mobile).

General emergencies:
911 (or *31416 from mobile phone)

Police:
101 (or *31416 from mobile phone)

Fire Brigade:
100

Medical Emergencies:
107

Tourist Police:
0800-999-5000 / 0800-999-2838 (English spoken)

The AMIGA project aims to extend the range of detection at Auger, to observe cosmic rays of lower energies, up to 10¹⁷ eV, and to study the transition from extragalactic (higher energy) to galactic cosmic rays (lower energy).

The AMIGA project is based on the installation and operation of muon counters. Each muon counter consists of 64 plastic scintillators, a TMP multi-pixel electronic acquisition and works together with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Muons are elementary particles abundant in atmospheric cascades, which have great penetrating power in matter. Thus, the AMIGA muon counters are buried 2.5m underground, to detect only the muon component of the shower particles.

When the AMIGA project is completed, there will be 61 muon detectors in a space of 25 square kilometers, these will be located near the hill Coihueco, in central western covering 3000 kilometers under the Pierre Auger Observatory. For now, there are seven of these detectors working and their results are promising.

AERA - Auger Engineering Radio Array

AERA is a new antenna system to measure short radio pulses emitted by cosmic ray air showers of the highest energies. It consists of an array of dozens of antennas sensitive in the frequency range of 30 to 80 MHz with signal processing and electronics developed specifically for this purpose.

AERA antennas are active 24 hours a day, like the surface detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Radio detection of cosmic rays has been applied first over 50 years ago, but only with the digital signal processing available today it could be implemented on large scales yielding detailed and high-quality measurements.

At the time of writing, 124 AERA radio stations covering an area of 6 km² are in operation. The 124 stations have been deployed in two steps. AERA-24 was deployed in 2010 and consisted of 24 radio stations equipped with LPDA (logarithmic-periodic dipole) antennas on a grid with 150 m antenna separation. Then in May 2013, 100 stations of a different design using so-called "butterfly antennas" were added. The 100 new stations in AERA-124 are spaced 250 m or 375 m apart from each other. Additional prototype stations with the ability to measure the electric field vector in 3D and at lower frequencies were also installed. In spring 2015, 25 more antenna stations will be deployed on a grid with up to 750 m antenna separation, increasing the instrumented area significantly and allowing improved studies of horizontal air showers.

AERA is regularly detecting cosmic rays in coincidence with the particle and fluorescence detectors of the Pierre Auger Observatory. Initial analyses have already led to significant first results, in particular confirming the theoretical predictions of the emission mechanism. Monte Carlo simulations are in good agreement with the data and analyses to extract detailed characteristics of the measured air showers are ongoing.