Aerosol dynamics monitoring for cosmic ray observatories by a micro pulse lidar

Abstract Monitoring of an atmosphere using a micro pulse lidar for application in the detection of extremely high-energy cosmic rays by the fluorescence technique, in the Pierre Auger Project, is discussed. The field experiment data of the aerosol dynamics, like the cloud height, the extinction coefficient measurements and the atmospheric homogeneity estimation, using the compact lidar with a high repetition rate of 40 nJ pulses, is presented. The sharp modulation of the atmospheric transparency along the horizontal path and in the vertical backscattering profile is detected at the Malargue site of the Pierre Auger Observatory, in Argentina.