A 1.8 m Class Pathfinder Raman LIDAR for the Northern Site of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory—Technical Design
This paper presents the technical design of the pathfinder Barcelona Raman LIDAR (pBRL) for the northern site of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO-N) located at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM). The pBRL is developed for continuous atmospheric characterization, essential for correcting high-energy gamma-ray observations captured by Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs). The LIDAR consists of a steerable telescope with a 1.8 m parabolic mirror and a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with frequency doubling and tripling. It emits at wavelengths of 355 nm and 532 nm to measure aerosol scattering and extinction through two elastic and Raman channels. Built upon a former Cherenkov Light Ultraviolet Experiment (CLUE) telescope, the pBRL’s design includes a Newtonian mirror configuration, a coaxial laser beam, a near-range system, a liquid light guide and a custom-made polychromator. During a one-year test at the ORM, the stability of the LIDAR and semi-remote-controlled operations were tested. This pathfinder leads the way to designing a final version of a CTAO Raman LIDAR which will provide real-time atmospheric monitoring and, as such, ensure the necessary accuracy of scientific data collected by the CTAO-N telescope array.
Authors
- O. Blanch (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8380-1633)
- Vania Da Deppo (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6273-8738)
- S. M. Colak (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-7793-3106)
- Miha Živec (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0003-8528-1453)
- P. Calisse
- A. López-Oramas (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-4603-1884)
- R. Grau (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1891-6290)
- L. Font (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2109-5961)
- S. Stanič (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3344-8381)
- Santiago Ubach (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6159-5883)
- M. Doro (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9104-3214)
- M. Gaug (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-8442-7877)
- O. Ballester (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7126-5300)
- C. Maggio (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-0670-7771)
- A. Campoy-Ordaz (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9352-8936)
- R. A. García (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8854-3776)
- O. Martı́nez (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9052-856X)
- J. Boix
- Marko Zavrtanik
- David Roman (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8717-9597)
- Manel Martinez
- Eudald Font-Pladevall
- Darko Kolar (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0009-0005-3624-9312)
- Victor Riu-Molinero
- Júlia Tartera-Barberà
Institutions
- Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona (ES)
- University of Padua (IT)
- Universidad de La Laguna (ES)
- Institute for High Energy Physics (ES)
- University of Nova Gorica (SI)
- Istituto Nazionale di Fisica Nucleare, Sezione di Padova (IT)
- CTA Observatory (DE)
- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias (ES)
- Center for Biomolecular Nanotechnologies (IT)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Remote Sensing
- Published
- 2025-03-18
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.3390/rs17061074
- Citations
- 1
- Primary Topic
- Atmospheric and Environmental Gas Dynamics
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 1.11