A 1.8 m Class Pathfinder Raman LIDAR for the Northern Site of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory—Technical Design

This paper presents the technical design of the pathfinder Barcelona Raman LIDAR (pBRL) for the northern site of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO-N) located at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (ORM). The pBRL is developed for continuous atmospheric characterization, essential for correcting high-energy gamma-ray observations captured by Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs). The LIDAR consists of a steerable telescope with a 1.8 m parabolic mirror and a pulsed Nd:YAG laser with frequency doubling and tripling. It emits at wavelengths of 355 nm and 532 nm to measure aerosol scattering and extinction through two elastic and Raman channels. Built upon a former Cherenkov Light Ultraviolet Experiment (CLUE) telescope, the pBRL’s design includes a Newtonian mirror configuration, a coaxial laser beam, a near-range system, a liquid light guide and a custom-made polychromator. During a one-year test at the ORM, the stability of the LIDAR and semi-remote-controlled operations were tested. This pathfinder leads the way to designing a final version of a CTAO Raman LIDAR which will provide real-time atmospheric monitoring and, as such, ensure the necessary accuracy of scientific data collected by the CTAO-N telescope array.