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A group of researchers and engineers from WashU has secured a grant of $3.9 million from the National Science Foundation to construct and deploy gamma-ray cameras for the Small-Sized Telescopes of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), the least large of the three classes of telescopes the observatory plans to utilize. The telescopes are intended for the observatory’s site in the Southern Hemisphere located in Paranal, Chile.
“Upon the installation of the cameras in 2028, the observatory will stand as the largest and most sensitive high-energy facility for gamma-ray astronomy globally,” stated Manel Errando, an associate professor of physics in Arts & Sciences leading the Washington University in St. Louis group. “This is an exhilarating opportunity to further the long-standing legacy of gamma-ray research at WashU.”
The WashU team will provide the light sensors for 10 cameras of the telescopes, along with the readout and control electronics necessary for their operation. The cameras’ rapid electronics, engineered to capture images at a speed of 1 billion per second, will have the capability to identify gamma rays from cosmic entities such as pulsars, clusters of young stars, the central black hole of the Milky Way, and swift jets emitted by massive, evolving black holes in distant galaxies.
The team comprises James H. Buckley, a professor of physics; Richard Bose, a senior research engineer in physics; and various other WashU engineers and students. Justin Vandenbroucke, a professor at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, serves as a co-principal investigator.
The involvement of researchers from WashU and the University of Wisconsin–Madison is crucial as it will allow astronomers and physicists throughout the United States to take advantage of CTAO discoveries. The funding permits the United States to formally seek third-party membership within the CTAO governance, providing U.S. researchers with access to data obtained from both observation sites in Chile and the Canary Islands. “We’re honored to help open this remarkable facility to researchers at U.S. institutions,” Errando remarked.
U.S. researchers have been heavily engaged in the CTAO initiative since its beginning over a decade ago, contributing across governance, scientific and technical domains. “The U.S. teams have played a vital role in supporting the CTAO throughout its history,” stated Stuart McMuldroch, director general of CTAO. “We appreciate their contributions and anticipate continuing and enhancing our collaboration in this new phase.”
Errando is particularly eager to gain unparalleled insights into phenomena at the galaxy’s core. “Due to the tilt of the Earth in relation to the plane of the Milky Way, observatories located in the Southern Hemisphere possess a more direct line of sight into the very center of the galaxy,” he explained.
The new observations are anticipated to assist in illuminating the origin of high-energy cosmic rays that propel particles at tremendous velocities throughout the galaxy. One hypothesis proposes that the rays are produced by shock waves from supernova detonations, which are among the most devastating occurrences in the galaxy. “There’s roughly one supernova explosion in our galaxy every century,” Errando noted. “The CTAO should facilitate our observation of the aftermath of such occurrences in significant detail.”
WashU has a rich history of supplying technical expertise to gamma-ray observatories. Buckley played a critical role in the development and construction of the VERITAS telescopes in Arizona. VERITAS currently stands as one of the largest gamma-ray instrument arrays of its type, although it will be outdone by the CTAO.
“The new observatory will significantly enhance our perspective,” Errando conveyed. “In the end, we will achieve a clearer understanding of the genesis of new stars and the progression of the galaxy.”
Originally published on the Ampersand website
The post WashU team wins $3.9M to provide cameras for gamma-ray observatory first appeared on The Source.
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