Speaker
Description
Large area arrays composed of dispersed stations are of major importance in experiments where Extensive Air Shower (EAS) sampling is necessary. Among those dispersed stations it is mandatory to have detectors that require very low maintenance and show good resilience to environmental conditions. In 2012 our group started to work on RPCs that could become acceptable candidates to operate within these conditions. Since that time, more than 50 complete detectors were produced, tested and installed in different places, both indoor and outdoor. Results can be found in [1 - 3].
The data and analysis to be presented are mainly related to the tests made in the Auger [4] site, where two RPCs are under test in real conditions for more than two years. The results confirm the capability to operate such kind of RPCs for long time periods under harsh conditions at a stable efficiency.
In the last years, LIP and USP – São Carlos started a collaboration that aims to install an Engineering Array at Auger site to better study and improve the resilience and performance of RPCs in outdoor experiments and to prove the physics capabilities of such innovative detectors. The organization of such collaboration and the work done so far will be presented.
[1] L. Lopes et al., Study of standalone RPC detectors for cosmic ray experiments in outdoor environment, 2013 JINST 8 T03004.
[2] L. Lopes et al., Study Resistive Plate Chambers for the Pierre Auger array upgrade, 2014 JINST 9 C10023.
[3] L. Lopes et al., Study Outdoor field experience with autonomous RPC based stations, 2016 JINST 11 C09011.
[4] https://www.auger.org
