Anna Nelles Radboud University NIjmegen

AERA - The Auger Engineering Radio Array (pdf)

The Auger Engineering Radio Array(AERA) has been deployed within the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina. The Pierre Auger Observatory is currently the largest detector for cosmic rays at the highest energies. The collocation of AERA with the lower energy extension of the Pierre Auger Observatory will enable to test and further develop the techniques used in AERA. With AERA the feasibility of an independent detector for cosmic rays based on their radio emissions will be tested. This set-up will give the opportunity to learn more about the emissions mechanisms of the radiation. Furthermore, using the data from the existing observatory it will be explored in how far radio emissions are suitable tools for compositions measurements of cosmic rays. My talk will illustrate the efforts that have been made to deploy AERA within the Pierre Auger Observatory in Argentina. Emphasis will be put on data acquisition, background suppression and first data. Also, first steps into the data analysis and possible cross-calibrations with other instruments will be shown.