The Pierre Auger Observatory Open Data

TL;DR

The Pierre Auger Observatory has progressively released open access to its cosmic-ray data since 2007, culminating in a comprehensive portal in 2023 that supports research, education, and outreach efforts worldwide.

Contribution

This paper details the development, implementation, and expansion of the Observatory's open data portal, promoting transparency and community engagement in cosmic-ray research.

Findings

Release of 10% of cosmic-ray data from 2004-2018

Inclusion of a catalog of the top 100 highest-energy events

Development of educational resources and visualization tools

Abstract

The Pierre Auger Collaboration has embraced the concept of open access to their research data since its foundation, with the aim of giving access to the widest possible community. A gradual process of release began as early as 2007 when 1% of the cosmic-ray data was made public, along with 100% of the space-weather information. In February 2021, a portal was released containing 10% of cosmic-ray data collected from 2004 to 2018, during Phase I of the Observatory. The Portal included detailed documentation about the detection and reconstruction procedures, analysis codes that can be easily used and modified and, additionally, visualization tools. Since then the Portal has been updated and extended. In 2023, a catalog of the 100 highest-energy cosmic-ray events examined in depth has been included. A specific section dedicated to educational use has been developed with the expectation that these data will be explored by a wide and diverse community including professional and citizen-scientists, and used for educational and outreach initiatives. This paper describes the context, the spirit and the technical implementation of the release of data by the largest cosmic-ray detector ever built, and anticipates its future developments.