Timing performance of the Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers for the cosmic ray telescopes of the EEE Project

The Extreme Energy Events (EEE) Project has built since 2004 a GPS-synchronized network of cosmic ray telescopes based on Multigap Resistive Plate Chambers (MRPC), which are distributed over the Italian territory. Most of them are installed within high school institutes and operated by local teams of students and teachers. Various upgrades, also concerned with the use of new eco-friendly gas mixtures have been undertaken, to reduce the impact of the traditional gases with high Global Warming Power. Good tracking, efficiency and timing capabilities of the MRPCs have allowed a variety of physics investigations, accompanied by an intense outreach programme over the last years. After the early cosmic ray and in-beam measurements carried out at CERN at the PS T10 East Hall beam line, the timing performance of the various telescopes has been long investigated by a combined analysis of the results obtained from a large number of individual detectors operated for year-long data taking periods. The overall organization of the EEE project, with special emphasis on the timing aspects of the involved MRPC detectors, will be discussed in this contribution.