Laser Atmospheric Studies with VERITAS

TL;DR

This paper demonstrates how laser pulses can be used to calibrate atmospheric conditions for VERITAS telescopes by comparing measured Rayleigh scattering to simulations, improving calibration accuracy.

Contribution

It introduces a method for atmospheric calibration of IACTs using laser-induced Rayleigh scattering measurements and compares real data with simulations for validation.

Findings

Laser data matches Rayleigh scattering simulations well.

Calibration method improves atmospheric understanding for VERITAS.

Potential for enhanced accuracy in cosmic-ray measurements.

Abstract

As a calibrated laser pulse propagates through the atmosphere, the amount of Rayleigh-scattered light arriving at the VERITAS telescopes can be calculated precisely. This technique was originally developed for the absolute calibration of ultra-high-energy cosmic-ray fluorescence telescopes but is also applicable to imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). In this paper, we present two nights of laser data taken with the laser at various distances away from the VERITAS telescopes and compare it to Rayleigh scattering simulations.