1. PIERRE AUGER OBSERVATORY Education and Outreach Gregory R. Snow / University of Nebraska Task Leader for Auger Education, Outreach, Public Relations DPF Meeting, October 30, 2006

2. Outline Brief Introduction to the Observatory Goals of the Education and Outreach Task Efforts in Mendoza Province and elsewhere Public Lectures, Events Building Open House Celebrations Visitor Center in Office Building Eureka Science Museum in Mendoza Observatory Inauguration and Science Fair New James Cronin School in Malargüe Plans for the Northern Hemisphere site

3. The Pierre Auger Observatory Southern Hemisphere: Malargüe Province of Mendoza Argentina Construction nearing completion Northern Hemisphere: S.E. Colorado, USA Planning in progress 1600 detectors, 3000 km 2 each site

4. The Auger Collaboration 67 Institutions, 369 Collaborators ArgentinaNetherlands Australia Poland Bolivia * Portugal Brazil Slovenia Czech RepublicSpain France United Kingdom Germany USA Italy Vietnam * Mexico * associate True International Partnership No country, region or institution dominates No country contributes more than 25% to the construction.

5. Status of Argentina site 1190 out of 1600 surface detectors installed 3 out of 4 fluorescence telescope buildings complete and operational Southern Hemisphere site complete mid-2007 First physics results presented at the ICRC 2005 conference in India, July 2005 Northern Hemisphere site Planning, proposal preparation in progress Southeast Colorado chosen as northern site Setting in Argentina 6000 people in remote small town Malargüe Auger collaboration presence quite noticeable Positive impact desired at many levels Education/outreach activities organized in a distinct subtask led by G. Snow Example: tanks carry names provided by local school students The Pierre Auger Observatory

6. Goals of the Education/Outreach Task Use the Auger Observatory and international collaboration to enhance science literacy and technology skills in the regions of the Auger sites and internationally Increase public awareness and support for basic research in physics, astrophysics, and all areas of science Encourage and support a wide range of education/outreach projects which link schools, community groups, and the public with the science and scientists of the Auger Observatory Provide technical and non-technical information on Auger to a wide range of audiences – students, public, government officials, scientific colleagues Recruit and encourage the participation of groups underrepresented in science in Auger education/outreach activities

7. Outreach papers/posters submitted to 2001 and 2005 ICRCs along with all the science papers 2005 report last page

8. Public Lectures in Malargüe Nightly science talks given to student and adult groups during collaboration meetings Thanks to Office of Tourism for hosting

9. Some nights in Spanish 40 students and teachers in attendance Hans spoke Spanish Many collaborators participate Hans: Welcome Beatriz: Physics intro Ingo: SD status Alberto: FD status Tere: Results Tere got inspired

10. Some nights in English 68 people in attendance, mostly students of English Question to Alan: “What do cosmic rays have to do with the origin of the Universe?”

11. Mars Closest Approach August 27, 2003 Public conference at Malarge Convention Center – 250 people Telescope viewing also

12. Assembly Building Inauguration and Open House, November 2000

13. Auger Center Building Inauguration October 2001

14. Visitor Center at Auger Office Building Visitor Center 10  12 m 2 Data Acquisition

15. Seats 60 people Quarter-size FD mirror set-up from Karlsruhe Visitor Center at Auger Office Building Glass cabinet for library and displays PC and multimedia projection

16. Visitor Center Continued Success Students from Escuela Gendarme Argentino, Malargüe 29 October 2004

17. Visitor Center Statistics 21,850 visitors through middle of March 2006 Thanks to Analía Cáceres

18. Visitor Center Statistics by Province in Argentina Mendoza Buenos Aires Vast majority from Argentina

19. Visitor Center Statistics by Foreign Country Chile Germany Brazil USA

20. Visitor Center Web Site Home page News postings Monthly news and events E-mail bulletin

21. Eureka Science Museum Former Los Leones prototype mirrors donated to Eureka by Torino group/INFN Children are fascinated by it!

22. Eureka Science Museum Electronics displays PCs, brochures, posters Beeping Geiger counter display

23. Eureka Science Museum History of cosmic ray physics in Argentina and Auger details

24. Auger Exhibit Inauguration Governor elect of Mendoza Province, Ing. Julio Cobos Press coverage

25. Observatory Inauguration, November 2005 Major public relations and media event November 10-11, 2005, in Malargüe 175 government officials, ambassadors, funding agency representatives Ribbon cutting ceremony, talks, tours of remote detector sites

26. Governor Julio Cobos Jim Cronin Country dignitaries

27. Tours of detectors Picnic with traditional dancers

28. Auger sponsored Science Fair, Nov. 11-12, 2005 29 teams from all over the Province of Mendoza Prizes awarded to top three projects, certificate to all teams Many thanks to Local Organizing Committee of 4 local teachers Fabian Amaya Miguel Herrera Alicia Piastrelini Roberto Sánchez They invested months of work Also: Malargüe municipality (Stands, financial support, some of the prizes, …) Auger local staff members

29. Auger collaborators served as judges José, Miguel, Beatriz, Rebeca, Carla, and Greg

30. Award Recipients 1 st : Wind tunnel, Mendoza 2 nd : Maglev train, Mendoza 3 rd : Lake pollution, El Nihuil Honorable mention: Malargüe team, calcium sulfate mill

31. First in a series of such Science Fairs We saved the banners for future use Second Science Fair being considered in November 2007

32. Auger collaborators participating in Malargüe Day parade 2000 2003 2004

33. Teaching Methods Course for Malargüe Science Teachers Grades 1-7; 8-9 November 2004 by R. López Teachers developed hands-on experiments in response to questions Topics included light, reflection, gas pressure, motion, …

34. CERN’s 50 th Anniversary, October 16, 2004 30,000 visitors overall, thousands of visitors to the Auger Observatory display

35. Naming ceremony Collaborators mentor student science fair projects 1 st graduation festival Nov. 2003 Visits with students Long standing connection with “James Cronin School of Communication, Art, and Design”

36. New “James Cronin School” in Malargüe Construction started March 2005 Present school location Long effort to build new science school coming to fruition Large donation from the Grainger Foundation Funds managed by Auger Foundation Curriculum input

37. The James Cronin School in Malargüe November 2005

38. 6 February 2006 Key hand-over to Mendoza Province

39. The James Cronin School in Malargüe March 2006 Beautiful interior

40. The James Cronin School in Malargüe March 2006 The first two students Overseen by Norberto Fazzini Official inauguration of school in November 2006

41. Northern Auger Site Southeast Colorado Denver Lamar Headquarters foreseen at Lamar Community College

42. Regional Science Fair at Lamar Community College F. Sarazin and G. Snow mounted an Auger display with posters, brochures, Geiger counters, scintillators. oscilloscopes, …

43. Regional Science Fair at Lamar Community College J. Harton and F. Sarazin talking about the northern site with Science Fair visitors

44. Regional Science Fair at Lamar Community College Students waiting for judges J. Harton addressing assembly before awards ceremony

45. Northern Site Outreach Things we learned from visitors to the Science Fair The Auger Observatory is quite well known in SE Colorado People are anxious to know more and get involved “Please put a tank on our property!” Teachers are interested in Auger outreach initiatives in their schools Overall, we judge EARLY and CONTINUING outreach efforts to the communities and schools to be very important to our success in the North

46. Cosmic Ray Observatory Project (CROP) in Nebraska

47. We now have the equipment in Lamar for one detector set-up Lamar Upcoming proposal for Phase II of CROP – statewide expansion – can include SE Colorado extension

48. Conclusions The education and public outreach efforts of the Pierre Auger Observatory are having a very positive impact in Argentina With hiring of full-time Northern Site Auger Outreach Coordinator (funded by Colorado Community College System -- interviews next week), a focused program to promote the Observatory’s Colorado site and jump-start a comprehensive outreach program will begin shortly