Thierry Stolarczyk
Cosmic particle hunter
Detection principle of the Tcherenkov light produced when a gamma ray interacts with the atmosphere
More on CTA
The CTA (Cherenkov Telescope Array) Observatory is a next-generation ground-based instrument for exploring the sky in gamma rays. CTA covers a large energy range, from 20 GeV to over 100 TeV, a domain that well complements that of the Fermi satellite (100 MeV – 30 GeV). It will produce image of the sky with a sensitivity and angular resolution that are ten times better than its predecessors (HESS, MAGIC, VERITAS).The CTA consortium is composed of 1200 scientists from 30 countries, working in over 190 laboratories.
CTA’s primary objective is to study cataclysmic phenomena in the universe. These are expected to be the origin of cosmic rays: the incessant rain of particles detected in the atmosphere more than one hundred years ago for which the origin is still unknown. These phenomena typically include compact stars, black holes, or neutron stars, which allow for the study of matter under extreme conditions. Gamma rays may also trace the presence of particles of dark matter that self-annihilate in dense regions in the universe, like the center of the Milky Way. Their absorption permits us to probe the diffuse background of optical and infrared radiation in the universe.
CTA is in the process of being deployed on two sites in order to cover the entire sky. In the Southern Hemisphere, the site will be situated near the Paranal Observatory in the Atacama Desert north of Chile, which also hosts the VLT. It will be composed of about a hundred telescopes and will provide a view of the interior regions of the Galactic Plane. In the Northern Hemisphere, the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory on the Canary Island of La Palma will host around 20 telescopes and will have the principle goal of exploring the extra-galactic universe.
Translation from french: courtesy K. Kosack, 2016
CTA presentation movie