Category: ALTO project status

Hej! Our prototyping activities are going on 🙂 After a successful operation of the carbon fibre tanks, we are now completing the prototype setup with two brand-new water tanks made of steel. Here Michael, Mohan and Mark are in front of their creation. They have tightened quite many bolts (300!) for the first new tank….

Hej! Finally, all our Phase-I ALTO detectors are taking data. The second muon detector still needs to be filled with additional scintillator liquid, and we will do this soon. The Phase-I of the ALTO prototype consists in the operation of two full ALTO units (two water tanks and two muon detectors). We also have other…

Hej! We now have the possibility to send a live stream of the cosmic ray events detected by the ALTO prototype at Linnaeus University. Check it out on our website and have fun!

Hej! After additional testing needed to understand our new detector element, we finally got the first ALTO muon detector taking data properly with all the other detectors included in the prototype. Temperatures in Växjö have already reached -12 degrees and therefore we are operating the prototype elements under these extreme conditions. The temperature in the…

Hej! Today we received the first muon detector that we will fill with a liquid called “scintillator” next week. Next week we will also install the photomultiplier which will record the photons emitted by the passage of particles in the scintillator liquid. Here are some pictures from the delivery and installation, and a video from…

Hej! Finally, the first muon detector is ready, and we will receive it in the following weeks. Here is a picture of the flat box, which is 10 cm high and 3 m in diameter, and which is quite a challenge to construct for the first time! Now we are getting excited to receive and start operating…

Hej! Here are some events seen in the prototype setup at Linnaeus University in Växjö. Thanks to Jean-Pierre we have a super event display! We are still waiting for the final scintillator detectors, and as you may see, one Cherenkov tank is not active, as we need to replace the photomultiplier. Most of the events…

Hej! We are happy to announce that the muon detectors of the ALTO prototypes are currently under production in TBS Yard AB! We look forward to receiving them so that we can start to operate these together with the water Cherenkov tanks at the prototype site. Picture below from Lars Tedehammar.

Hej! Waiting for the final large ALTO scintillator detectors which we now ordered, in order to do some tests, we equipped the prototype site with smaller plastic and liquid scintillators recycled from another older experiment in France. Here below in the picture Jean-Pierre and Satyendra are installing a liquid scintillator box (in grey) at the…

Hej! With a bit of delay, we are now updating the status of the ALTO prototype project on our Blog. On May the 25th our two water tanks were completely filled with water and the data taking started at 17:00 the same day. So now we are smoothly taking data since more than three weeks….