The ASTRI SST-2M prototype and mini-array for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA)

Giovanni Pareschi

doi:10.1117/12.2232275

8 August 2016 The ASTRI SST-2M prototype and mini-array for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA)

Giovanni Pareschi

Proceedings Volume 9906, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VI; 99065T (2016) https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2232275
Event: SPIE Astronomical Telescopes + Instrumentation, 2016, Edinburgh, United Kingdom

Abstract

In the framework of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) Observatory, the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics (INAF) has recently inaugurated in Sicily (Italy), at the Serra La Nave astronomical site (on the slopes of Mount Etna), a dual-mirror prototype (ASTRI SST-2M) of the CTA small size class of telescopes. It is planned to install up to 70 small size telescopes in the southern CTA site, in order to allow the study of the gamma rays from a few TeV up to hundreds of TeV. The ASTRI SST-2M telescope prototype has been developed following an end-to-end approach. According to this philosophy, the telescope includes structure, primary and secondary mirrors, camera, software and hardware for control/acquisition and data handling. The camera, almost completed, has been designed to cover a field of view of 9.6 degrees. After the full implementation of the prototype, a remarkable improvement in terms of technology advancement and performance will come from the operation of the ASTRI mini-array, led within the CTA collaboration by INAF in synergy with the Universidade de Sao Paulo (Brazil) and the North-West University (South Africa). The ASTRI mini-array will be composed of at least 9 ASTRI SST-2M units and it is proposed to be installed at the CTA southern site as part of its pre-production phase. Apart from the assessment of a number of technological aspects related to CTA, the ASTRI mini-array will extend and improve the flux sensitivity compared with the current experiments (HESS, MAGIC and VERITAS) in the 5 - 300 TeV energy range.

Citation Download Citation

Giovanni Pareschi "The ASTRI SST-2M prototype and mini-array for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA)", Proc. SPIE 9906, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VI, 99065T (8 August 2016); https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2232275

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