Technological Novelties of Ground-Based Very High Energy Gamma-Ray Astrophysics with the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes

Abstract

Over the last three decades, the ground-based technique of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes has established itself as a powerful scientific discipline. About 250 very high gamma-ray sources of both galactic and extragalactic origin have been discovered, largely thanks to this technique. The study of these sources provides clues to many fundamental questions in astrophysics, astroparticle physics, cosmic ray physics and cosmology. The current generation of telescopes in operation offers solid performance. Further improvements in this technique led to the next generation large-scale instrument known as the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). In its final configuration, the sensitivity of CTA will be several times higher than that of the current best instruments VERITAS, H.E.S.S. and MAGIC. This article is devoted to presenting the technological developments that have shaped this technique and led to its current success.

29 pages, 7 figures. Review Chapter of Special Issue 'High-Energy Gamma-Ray Astronomy', MDPI Universe, Editors U. Barres de Almeida, M. Doro

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Cited by in corpus (5)

• The development of ground-based Gamma-ray astronomy: a historical overview of the pioneering experiments
• Performance Evaluation of Three Silicon Photomultiplier Detector Modules within the MAGIC Telescopes PMT-based camera
• Direct Comparison of SiPM and PMT Sensor Performances in a large-size imaging air Cherenkov telescope
• The Major Gamma-ray Imaging Cherenkov Telescopes (MAGIC)
• Direct comparison of SiPMs and PMTs in operation with a bright background and prospects of using SPADs as truly digital sensors