Speaker
Description
Accurate knowledge of atmospheric aerosol attenuation is essential for reconstructing the energy of air showers observed by the Wide Field-of-view Cherenkov Telescope Array (WFCTA) at LHAASO. We investigate whether the array’s existing laser calibration system can also be used to constrain the vertical distribution of aerosol optical depth. In this approach, WFCTA telescopes observe light scattered from laser beams fired at the site. The measured photoelectron yield as a function of scattering angle is compared with an end-to-end simulation and a molecular-scattering reference. Because scattering angle maps to laser-beam height through the observation geometry, departures from the reference can provide information about height-dependent aerosol extinction.
A reliable retrieval requires atmospheric effects to be separated from telescope response and analysis effects. We therefore examine the consistency of experimental and simulated angular profiles across laser configurations, observing periods, and detector-response corrections before interpreting any residual as an aerosol signal. This study establishes the calibration checks and forward-modeling framework needed for a vertical aerosol optical depth measurement with WFCTA. Such measurements could ultimately improve atmospheric corrections and reduce systematic uncertainty in cosmic-ray energy reconstruction.
