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Title: Development of a mid-sized Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

Abstract

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is a ground-based observatory for very high-energy (10 GeV to 100 TeV) gamma rays, planned for operation starting in 2018. It will be an array of dozens of optical telescopes, known as Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (ACTs), of 8 m to 24 m diameter, deployed over an area of more than 1 square km, to detect flashes of Cherenkov light from showers initiated in the Earth's atmosphere by gamma rays. CTA will have improved angular resolution, a wider energy range, larger fields of view and an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity over current ACT arrays such as H.E.S.S., MAGIC and VERITAS. Several institutions have proposed a research and development program to eventually contribute 36 medium-sized telescopes (9 m to 12 m diameter) to CTA to enhance and optimize its science performance. The program aims to construct a prototype of an innovative, Schwarzschild-Couder telescope (SCT) design that will allow much smaller and less expensive cameras and much larger fields of view than conventional Davies-Cotton designs, and will also include design and testing of camera electronics for the necessary advances in performance, reliability and cost. We report on the progress of the mid-sized SCT development program.

Authors:
Publication Date:
Research Org.:
SLAC National Accelerator Lab., Menlo Park, CA (United States)
Sponsoring Org.:
USDOE Office of Science (SC)
OSTI Identifier:
1044619
Report Number(s):
SLAC-PUB-15122
TRN: US201214%%488
DOE Contract Number:  
AC02-76SF00515
Resource Type:
Conference
Resource Relation:
Conference: Presented at2012 Astronomical Telescopes+ Instrumentation, Amsterdam, The Netherlands, 7/1/2012-7/6/2012
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English
Subject:
47 OTHER INSTRUMENTATION; 79 ASTROPHYSICS, COSMOLOGY AND ASTRONOMY; CAMERAS; DESIGN; ENERGY RANGE; PERFORMANCE; RELIABILITY; RESOLUTION; SENSITIVITY; TELESCOPES; TESTING; Astrophysics,ASTRO

Citation Formats

Cameron, Robert A. Development of a mid-sized Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope for the Cherenkov Telescope Array. United States: N. p., 2012. Web.
Cameron, Robert A. Development of a mid-sized Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope for the Cherenkov Telescope Array. United States.
Cameron, Robert A. 2012. "Development of a mid-sized Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope for the Cherenkov Telescope Array". United States. https://www.osti.gov/servlets/purl/1044619.
@article{osti_1044619,
title = {Development of a mid-sized Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope for the Cherenkov Telescope Array},
author = {Cameron, Robert A},
abstractNote = {The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is a ground-based observatory for very high-energy (10 GeV to 100 TeV) gamma rays, planned for operation starting in 2018. It will be an array of dozens of optical telescopes, known as Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (ACTs), of 8 m to 24 m diameter, deployed over an area of more than 1 square km, to detect flashes of Cherenkov light from showers initiated in the Earth's atmosphere by gamma rays. CTA will have improved angular resolution, a wider energy range, larger fields of view and an order of magnitude improvement in sensitivity over current ACT arrays such as H.E.S.S., MAGIC and VERITAS. Several institutions have proposed a research and development program to eventually contribute 36 medium-sized telescopes (9 m to 12 m diameter) to CTA to enhance and optimize its science performance. The program aims to construct a prototype of an innovative, Schwarzschild-Couder telescope (SCT) design that will allow much smaller and less expensive cameras and much larger fields of view than conventional Davies-Cotton designs, and will also include design and testing of camera electronics for the necessary advances in performance, reliability and cost. We report on the progress of the mid-sized SCT development program.},
doi = {},
url = {https://www.osti.gov/biblio/1044619}, journal = {},
number = ,
volume = ,
place = {United States},
year = {Thu Jun 28 00:00:00 EDT 2012},
month = {Thu Jun 28 00:00:00 EDT 2012}
}

Conference:
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