FACT (telescope)
The F irst G- A PD C herenkov T elescope is an imaging Cherenkov telescope (IACTs) for the investigation of cosmic gamma rays . It is located on the Roque de los Muchachos on the Canary Island of La Palma right next to the MAGIC telescopes . In contrast to established air Cherenkov telescopes such as MAGIC, HESS or VERITAS , FACT Geiger-mode uses avalanche photodiodes . Measurement operations started on October 11, 2011.
Characteristics
The FACT camera consists of 1440 pixels and has a field of view of 4.5 degrees. The hexagonal mirrors form an area of approximately 9.5 m 2 . The measured energy range is between a few hundred GeV and a few TeV.
scientific programme
With the help of FACT it is possible to observe individual sources over a long period of time. Typical sources for FACT are:
- Active galactic nuclei (AGNs) such as MRK 501 or MRK 421
- Supernova remnants (SNRs) such as the Crab Nebula
Participating universities and research institutions
- ETH Zurich
- TU Dortmund University
- ISDC
- École polytechnique fédérale de Lausanne
- University of Würzburg