Q&A with the Auger North Site

On the vast plain in western Argentina known as the Pampa Amarilla, a new window on the universe is taking shape. There the Pierre Auger Observatory has begun its study of the universe's highest energy particles. The observatory, which is nearly finished, will consist of an array of 1,600 particle detectors spaced approximately one mile apart within an approximately 35 mile by 35 mile area. The observatory also includes four fluorescence telescopes housed in a series observatory buildings around the perimeter of the detector array.

Scientists have also planned a second observatory to be located in the Northern Hemisphere in southeastern Colorado. Construction on the second observatory could begin as soon as 2008 or 2009. The initial array would probably be located within or very near the gray region on the map below.

The proposed observatory represents a rare opportunity for Southeast Colorado to host a truly world-class research facility - one of only two such observatories in the world. However, in order to make the project possible, the cooperation of many landowners will be necessary. If the observatory is built in Southeast Colorado, it would create numerous educational, economic, and tourism benefits and opportunities for the area. A local group, called C³R² - Colorado Coalition for Cosmic Ray Research (consisting of representatives from CSU, School of Mines, CSU-Pueblo, LCC and SECED) has been formed to assist scientists with development of Southeast Colorado as the site for the observatory.

A key figure in the research project is Dr. James Cronin, a Nobel Prize winning scientist from the University of Chicago. Dr. Cronin visited the area in 2004 and delivered a lecture on his work at Lamar Community College. Following his visit, a team of scientists from CSU and the University of Colorado, was asked to continue their work on developing Southeast Colorado as the site to host the observatory. Dr. John Harton, a physicist at CSU, is now working closely with C³R² to continue exploring the southeastern Colorado site and to help prepare the proposal for funding the project.

This Q&A has been developed to provide information on the research itself, details about how the observatory would work, and hopefully to answer many of the questions landowners, educators, and the general public may have about the project.

Q&A Colorado

For several reasons. The altitude is just right to make the measurements, the skies are clear and dark, and there is not much stray light from towns. In addition, the land is fairly flat, which is good for the communication between the tanks and the central data center. Finally, the latitude is in the range the scientists need to view the northern sky -- and having a detector in the northern hemisphere to complement the one in Argentina (in the southern hemisphere) will allow scientists to view the whole sky.

The project is an observatory, so scientists have to wait and observe what nature sends them. The most interesting events are very rare, happening about twice per square mile every hundred years. In one year, with the whole detector in Argentina, scientists expect to record just 30 or so of the most interesting (and most mysterious) events. Therefore, they need many years to gather a significant amount of data.

No. The tanks are built of polyethylene (a type of plastic) and are filled with pure water. They are about 12 feet in diameter, about five feet tall, and hold about 3,000 gallons of water. They have been specially designed so that livestock can't hurt themselves on the tank. Should one of them develop a leak, the worst thing that could happen is that it will help water the plants growing around the tanks.

No. An initial survey team would first plant a marker followed by another team to clear and level the area for the 12-foot diameter tank with a small apron of a few feet wide around the tank. Then an empty tank will be delivered. Later the purified water will be delivered to the tank by truck.

Scientists then usually need to make a handful of trips to each tank to get the electronics running. After this, they hopefully will be able to leave the tanks alone for a few years at a time, only changing the batteries every five years or so.

Only if there were problems with a tank, would scientists need to make other visits to make repairs or swap out broken equipment. The general public will not be allowed to visit the individual tanks and can't come onto your property without your permission.

Scientists are asking to be able to have the tank there for 20 years or so. If an owner decides he or she needs to put up a building or other equipment at the tank location, the scientists would relocate the tank at no expense to the landowner. They would ask, however, to be able to relocate the tank to a new spot as near as possible to its original location.

The project will be located in an approximately 80 mile by 100 mile area in Prowers, Baca, Bent, and Kiowa Counties, with a small extension goint into Cheyenne and Lincoln Counties or possible east into Kansas. The exact location of the array could be shifted a short distance in any direction.

For the project to work properly, about 4400 tanks must be placed at approximately 1.5 mile intervals in the 80 by 100 mile area. Although a few tanks could be missing from the pettern, it is critical to get all or nearly all of the tanks properly located in order to take the best scientific data.

The project will have a list of owners on file with any special instructions required for access. For example, some owners might want to accompany the scientists and technicians to the tanks; others might be happy just knowing that the Auger people will maintain closed gates and not drive on wet earth. The landowner sets the rules for access and the Auger group will adhere to those rules.

Yes. Scientists need to keep them as close as possible to their proper location on the grid, but they can be moved (perhaps a few hundred feet) from their ideal location. Scientists will work with landowners to find the best site for each tank that will not interfere with their farming or ranching operations and still allow them the gathering of good scientific data.

No. The tanks are waterproof, weatherproof, and completely sealed. As long as irrigating equipment does not physically collide with the tanks, there will not be a problem -- and the tanks will be placed so as not to interfere with irrigation equipment.

No. Ordinary lighting found around a home, shop building or yard lighting around a farm or ranch is not bright enough to interfere with the detectors. Landowners would be free to install any lighting necessary for normal operations.

Only a small fraction of an acre. The tanks themselves are about 12 feet in diameter, and a small apron around each tank (about five or six feet) may be cleared to protect them from such event as a grass fire. But in total, only a very tiny amount of land (on the order of 400 square feet) would actually be involved.

Researchers would work with each landowner to designate the best route to each tank. Project workers would not drive on the land in wet or muddy conditions while installing or filling the tanks, and would make appropriate arrangements with each landowner when they need to visit tanks for repairs or servicing.

Depending on the research results, scientists may wish to negotiate a new lease to extend the project beyond 20 years or so to continue gathering data. If the tanks are no longer needed, it is quite likely that they would be donated to landowners. If the landowner does not wish to keep the tank(s), they would be removed at no cost to that landowner.

Project workers do not think so. Chad Hart, Director of the Lamar Offices of the USDA Agriculture Service Center, says there does not appear to be any problem with placement of tanks on land under the CRP program.

The Auger Observatory would create a world-class tourist attraction that would draw visitors from around the state and nation, perhaps even from other countries around the world. Visitors would not be allowed to visit the individual detector sites, but the project would include a very informative visitor center - most likely located on the Lamar Community College campus.

The project would create numerous educational benefits for local students in the K-12 system, and at Lamar Community College, which plans to develop a special science program with help from collaborative relationships with some of the scientists working with the project.
More details.

Although they do not need to physically visit any of the detector sites to obtain data, scores of scientists from around the world would visit the observatory headquarters and central data center regularly. At least once per year, hundreds of scientists would convene in Lamar (as they now do in Malargüe, Argentina, the headquarters of the southern hemisphere observatory). The visiting scientists and tourists would provide a boost to the local economy, especially in the service sector.

Detector tanks may be built locally, but would certainly be assembled locally, creating numerous employment opportunities during the construction phase of the project. Local business could take part in providing some of the tank components or electrical/electronic tank components. Building the assembly facility and deployment of the taks would offer more employment for local area business and residents. In addition, the project would create permanent jobs for as many as 10-20 workers affiliated with the project itself and the related visitor center.

The project will, in many ways, put Southeast Colorado, and Baca, Bent, Kiowa and Prowers Counties "on the map."

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