Implementing a WCD detector system in Ecuador as part of the LAGO Project

The LAGO project is a recent collaboration that comes from the association of latin american astroparticle researchers. It started in 2005 and it was designed to survey the high-energy component of GRBs. The present work describes the construction and initial testing of three WCD prototypes, one located in Riobamba at 2784 m.a.s.l., and two located in Quito, Ecuador at 2400 and 2817 m.a.s.l. respectively. We use a commercial water tank and low cost accessories to build each detector, which will be later installed at high altitude mountain sites in Chimborazo and Cotopaxi respectively. Data acquisition and post processing is done using two electronic systems designed for the LAGO etectors, which were developed by the LAGO Argentina and LAGO Mexico team respectively, and are based on a digitizer board and a FPGA. In addition, a water protocol procedure is carried out, in order to guarantee a stable performance of the WCD through time. Computer-aided simulations are being performed to calculate the theoretical efficiency of the WCD, properly calibrate the detector, and standarize the data with other LAGO WCD detectors.