Cherenkov Telescope Array
The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is a project launched in 2010 by an international consortium for earth-based gamma-ray astronomy . By observing Cherenkov lightning bolts in the earth's atmosphere, conclusions can be drawn about astronomical gamma ray sources such as galaxies and supernovae . The project has been in the planning or prototype phase since 2010.
aims
The aim is to set up two expandable grids made up of ten Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs, Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes). Standardized models with reflector diameters of 6, 12 and 24 meters are provided for the individual telescopes and are currently under development or testing. The first grid - in the northern hemisphere - is intended mainly for the observation of extragalactic objects of low energy, while the second grid - in the southern hemisphere - is intended to cover the entire energy range and focus on sources in the Milky Way .
With a measuring range from a few tens of GeV to over 100 TeV, the CTA is expected to exceed the sensitivity of the current generation of Cherenkov telescopes such as MAGIC , HESS and VERITAS by an order of magnitude. The scientific applications of the CTA range from high energy - Astrophysics about fundamental physics to cosmology .
The CTA is planned and set up in international collaboration by scientists, with strong participation from European institutions such as the European Strategy Forum for Research Infrastructures ESFRI , the European Astroparticle Physics Network ASPERA and the European Astrophysics Network ASTRONET. The administrative project office is located at the State Observatory in Heidelberg-Königstuhl . During the preparation phase of the CTA, a key objective is to bring the project closer to students, pupils and the general public. Various materials have been published for this purpose.
The preparation phase was completed in August 2014. The construction site in the southern hemisphere - the Atacama Desert in Chile and Farm Aar in Namibia - was announced on July 15 and 16, 2015. The CTA consortium chose Chile.
Web links
- Official DESY CTA website
- Groundbreaking ceremony for the CTA prototype, DESY press release , June 2012
- official website
- short video of a digital model from CTA
Individual evidence
- ↑ Site Selection. CTA. Retrieved July 31, 2015
- ↑ Fast-Forward to End of 2015- SciDev.net, on AllAfrica.com, January 15, 2015, accessed March 6, 2015
- ^ Gamma-Ray Astronomy: Site Negotiations for Cherenkov Telescope Array Started. CTA, April 10, 2014. Retrieved March 6, 2015