Pierre Auger: The Pioneering Work/Les Origines

The Auger Observatory experiment was named after Pierre Victor Auger (Paris, 14/5/1899 - Paris, 25/12/1993) who can be considered as the discoverer of the giant airshowers generated by the interaction of very high-energy cosmic rays with the earth's atmosphere. A few dates on the life and works of Pierre Auger [excerpts from a biographical note written by himself in 1971]:

• 1919: enters the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Paris in the biology group but with interest in atomic physics.
• 1922-1942: devotes his professional life to experimental physics in the fields of:
  • Atomic physics (photoelectric effect);
  • Nuclear physics (slow neutrons);
  • Cosmic ray physics (atmospheric air-showers).
• 1939-1941: is in charge of the organisation of a service of documentation for the laboratories working for the defence.
• 1941: leaves France and enters the "Forces Françaises Libres" (Free French Forces). Partipates in the creation of a French-British-Canadian group on atomic energy research (becomes head of this department in Montreal).
• 1944: joins the operational groups in London.
• 1945: becomes Chairman of the Department of Universities for the french government. Many of his reforms at this position are still operational in the french system. In particular, he participates in the creation of the french Atomic Energy Commission (CEA).
• 1948-1959: Director of the Department of Sciences for the UNESCO. He strongly campaigns for the creation of international research organisms. He is one of the forefathers of CERN whose construction begins in 1953.
• 1959-1964: resumes his activities in cosmic-ray physics with a shift from nuclear physics to astrophysics. Creates and chairs the still existing CNES (National Center for Space Physics) and other similar organisms (COPERS, CERS-ESRO).
• 1964-1967: chairs ESRO, an international organisms of cooperation between 10 european countries for satellite projects.
• 1967-1970 (his retirement date): Director of the "Centre des Faibles Radioactivités" (weak radiations used in particular for datation techniques).

Ci-dessous, les reproductions des articles originaux de Pierre Auger et collaborateurs sur les premières indications de l'existence de rayons cosmiques d'ultra-haute énergie par l'étude de grandes gerbes atmosphériques.

Comptes rendus, Académie des Sciences 206 (1938) 1721 (8/6/1938).

Comptes rendus, Académie des Sciences 207 (1938) 228 (11/7/1938).

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