Status of the technologies for the production of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) mirrors

Abstract

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the next generation very high-energy gamma-ray observatory, with at least 10 times higher sensitivity than current instruments. CTA will comprise several tens of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) operated in array-mode and divided into three size classes: large, medium and small telescopes. The total reflective surface could be up to 10,000 m2 requiring unprecedented technological efforts. The properties of the reflector directly influence the telescope performance and thus constitute a fundamental ingredient to improve and maintain the sensitivity. The R&D status of lightweight, reliable and cost-effective mirror facets for the CTA telescope reflectors for the different classes of telescopes is reviewed in this paper.

19 pages, SPIE Optics + Photonics 2013

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Cited by in corpus (10)

• Intensity interferometry-based 3D imaging
• Mirror production for the Cherenkov telescopes of the ASTRI Mini-Array and of the MST project for the Cherenkov Telescope Array
• A new solution for mirror coating in $\gamma$-ray Cherenkov Astronomy
• A facility to evaluate the focusing performance of mirrors for Cherenkov Telescopes
• Impact of Laser Guide Star facilities on neighbouring telescopes: The case of GTC, TMT, VLT and ELT lasers and the Cherenkov Telescope Array
• Developments of a new mirror technology for the Cherenkov Telescope Array
• Recent developments for the testing of Cherenkov Telescope Array mirrors and actuators in Tübingen
• First results of the two square meters multilayer glass composite mirror design proposed for the Cherenkov Telescope Array developed at INFN
• Contributions to free-space optical communications: feasibility of utilizing Cherenkov telescopes as receivers and beam-wander correction in quantum communications
• Exploring one giga electronvolt cosmic gamma rays with a Cherenkov plenoscope capable of recording atmospheric light fields, Part 1: Optics