In 2023 Paul M Mantsch wrote this short history of the huge Pierre Auger Observatory. His objective was to preserve the history of the Observatory in the argentine pampa amarilla but also to make our experience and lessons learned available to others planning international science projects.
After nearly a century of study, the mysterious origin of the highest-energy cosmic rays continues to elude scientists. Solving this mystery is almost certain to bring new and more profound understanding of the nature of the universe. This book tells the story of the Pierre Auger Cosmic Ray Observatory, conceived and built by a unique international collaboration of researchers in Argentina in pursuit of this mystery.
This is still a work in progress - currently the third edition is available as a paperback that has been published on Amazon: https://www.amazon.de/-/en/Paul-M-Mantsch/dp/1794632581. The author would appreciate any feedback you may have. In case you plan to stop by the observatory: there is also a copy in the Auger library in Malargüe.
Paul Mantsch is best known as the former principal science manager at the Pierre Auger Observatory. Paul Mantsch was chiefly responsible for drafting the documents that formed the basis for the facility's funding and construction, and he was entrusted with its design, construction and operation from 1995 to 2014. Well-regarded for his accomplishments across the span of more than four decades of achievement in the field of particle physics, Paul Mantsch distinguished himself through his work at the Fermi National Accelerator Laboratory (Fermilab) for much of his career, beginning in 1973 and culminating with his retirement in 2015, whereupon he was granted the title of scientist emeritus.
