Asia’s Largest Cherenkov Telescope Inaugurated in Ladakh

Inauguration of Asia’s Largest Cherenkov Telescope in Ladakh

Asia’s largest imaging Cherenkov telescope became operational when India opened the Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) observatory near Hanle, Ladakh, on October 4, 2024. Perched at an elevation of around 4,300 meters, MACE signifies a major breakthrough in India’s capacity to research cosmic rays, or high-energy particles that come from space. The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) collaborated with several Indian enterprises to develop this ambitious project.

Mechanism of MACE

Gamma rays, a type of high-energy radiation from space, cannot penetrate the Earth’s atmosphere. However, when they collide with atmospheric particles, they produce other particles that emit flashes of light known as Cherenkov radiation. This phenomenon is akin to a sonic boom but occurs with light instead. By using advanced mirrors and cameras, MACE is able to record these flashes and link their source to cosmic occurrences like black holes and supernovas.

Rationale for Choosing Hanle

The location of Hanle was selected due to its exceptional conditions for astronomical observations. The area boasts clear skies and minimal light pollution, essential for detecting the faint signals of gamma rays. The high altitude further minimizes atmospheric interference, making it an ideal site for cosmic ray studies.

With the successful establishment of MACE, Hanle is poised to emerge as a leading center for gamma ray research. The site could potentially host additional telescopes in the future, facilitating greater international collaboration and drawing astronomers from around the globe to explore the universe’s mysteries.

Overview of MACE Observatory

MACE stands as the world’s highest atmospheric Cherenkov telescope, with a diameter of 21 meters and a weight of 175 tonnes. Its impressive reflector, covering 356 square meters, consists of 1,424 diamond-turned metallic mirrors. The telescope is outfitted with 712 actuators for mirror adjustments, 1,088 photo-multiplier tubes for detecting faint light, and 68 camera modules. Despite its size, MACE is designed to be lightweight and robust enough to withstand extreme temperatures and challenging weather conditions, supported by advanced electronics for efficient data processing.

cherenkov
Credit: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

Celebrating the Inauguration

The inaugural ceremony brought attention to India’s rising stature in cosmic-ray and space research. The occasion was presided over by Dr. Ajit Kumar Mohanty, Chairman of the Atomic Energy Commission and Secretary of the Department of Atomic Energy (DAE). The Platinum Jubilee festivities of the DAE also fell on this anniversary.

During the ceremony, In addition to unveiling memorial plaques, Dr. Mohanty stressed the significance of coordinating scientific research and tourism within the Hanle Dark Sky Reserve. He urged youngsters to get into technology and science fields as their careers.

The director of BARC’s Physics Group, Dr. SM Yusuf, spoke on the critical role MACE plays in advancing India’s cosmic ray research capabilities. A film highlighting the technological advances made was shown, as well as a picture book chronicling the MACE project’s history.

The project received support and involvement from the local community, as seen by the honoring of community leaders during the ceremony, such as the headmaster of the local school and the village nambardars.

Significance of MACE

The observation of high-energy gamma rays by the MACE telescope places India at the forefront of cosmic ray research. It allows researchers to look at some of the most intense occurrences in the cosmos, like gamma-ray bursts, black holes, and supernovae. Even prior to its formal inauguration, MACE had successfully detected gamma ray flares from sources over 200 million light-years away.

The observatory is expected to facilitate international collaborations, enhancing India’s role in multi-messenger astronomy—an emerging field that integrates various forms of astronomical observations to deepen our understanding of the cosmos.

Conclusion

The founding of the MACE observatory is a significant accomplishment for cosmic-ray research and astrophysics in India. Perched nearly 4,300 meters above the Earth, it will make a major contribution to worldwide endeavors aimed at comprehending the universe’s most intense processes. As a cutting-edge facility, MACE is expected to motivate and excite upcoming Indian scientific generations, promoting astrophysical research and exploration. The project strengthens India’s position in the international scientific community while also highlighting its dedication to developing scientific research.


The World’s Most Potent Ground-Based Gamma-Ray Observatory is the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory.

With the construction of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), the world’s most potent ground-based facility for very high-energy gamma-ray astronomy will soon be established. Two arrays of telescopes will make up this ground-breaking observatory: one at ESO’s Paranal Observatory in the southern hemisphere and the other on La Palma, Spain, in the northern hemisphere. Supermassive black holes and supernovae, two of the universe’s most extreme events, produce gamma rays, which will be examined in unprecedented depth. Interestingly, after a proprietary time, the CTAO will be the first “open” gamma-ray observatory, making its data and processing software available to the whole world. The goal of this project is to involve a large number of high-energy physics and astronomy researchers.

Credit: Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias

Overview of the Observatory

The CTAO will be the largest and most sensitive high-energy gamma-ray observatory ever built, thanks to its massive collecting area and vast sky coverage. When combined, the two arrays will be able to detect gamma rays with sensitivity and accuracy up to ten times higher than those of existing equipment.

To effectively cover the entire energy range of the CTAO (from 20 gigaelectronvolts [GeV] to 300 teraelectronvolts [TeV]), three types of telescopes will be utilized. For the core energy range (150 GeV to 5 TeV), the CTAO will deploy 23 Medium-Sized Telescopes (MSTs), augmented by 4 Large-Sized Telescopes (LSTs) in the northern array and 37 Small-Sized Telescopes (SSTs) in the southern array. While the LSTs will concentrate on energy beyond 5 TeV, the SSTs are tuned for energies below 150 GeV.

The authorized arrangement of the CTAO, dubbed the Alpha arrangement, calls for 64 telescopes total—13 in the northern and 51 in the southern hemispheres. The southern array will be at the Paranal Observatory, roughly ten kilometers southeast of the Very Large Telescope, while the northern array will be at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos on La Palma, home of the Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias. The latter location offers ideal conditions for astronomical observations because it is one of the driest and most isolated places on Earth.

International Collaboration and Governance

The CTAO is supported by an increasing number of international stakeholders, forming the CTAO Council, with ESO as a key member and hosting partner. The observatory’s construction and operation will be managed by CTAO gGmbH, which collaborates closely with the CTAO Consortium comprising over 1,400 scientists and engineers from 31 countries.

The total estimated cost for the construction of the CTAO exceeds 200 million euros, with around 90 million euros allocated specifically for the telescopes on La Palma. The northern array is expected to commence operations in 2024, with an annual investment exceeding 2 million euros.

Funding for the IAC’s involvement in the CTAO project is supported by several governmental initiatives, co-financed with European Regional Development Funds (ERDF) and contributions from regional and national budgets.

Scientific Potential of the CTAO

The CTAO promises to serve as a versatile facility for a broad astrophysics community. Its scientific applications are extensive, ranging from investigating the role of relativistic cosmic particles to searching for dark matter. Observations conducted with the CTAO will enhance our understanding of high-energy particle influences on cosmic system evolution and allow for the exploration of extreme astronomical events.

The observatory will enable researchers to probe environments near black holes and across vast cosmic voids. It has the potential to uncover new physics by examining matter and forces beyond the standard model. Although gamma rays cannot reach the Earth’s surface due to atmospheric absorption, their interactions create ultra-high energy particles that emit Cherenkov radiation. This radiation, similar to a sonic boom, can be captured by the CTAO’s mirrors and high-speed cameras, allowing astronomers to trace gamma rays back to their cosmic sources.

Capabilities and Applications

The CTAO will detect gamma rays across a broad energy spectrum, from tens of GeV to hundreds of TeV. In the lower energy range, it will observe transient and variable gamma-ray events from the distant universe, while in the higher energy range, it will explore previously uncharted territories of the electromagnetic spectrum, providing a novel perspective on the sky.

The observatory will enhance energy resolution, facilitating the search for annihilating dark matter particles, and enabling rapid slewing to capture gamma-ray bursts as they occur.

Technology and Design of CTAO

CTAO will utilize Cherenkov light detection rather than direct gamma-ray detection. When gamma rays interact with the atmosphere, they generate cascades of charged particles that emit blue Cherenkov radiation as they travel faster than the speed of light in air. While this brief flash lasts only one billionth of a second and is undetectable to the human eye, the CTAO’s large mirrors and sensitive detectors will capture this radiation effectively.

The observatory will incorporate three types of telescopes:

  1. Large-Sized Telescopes (LSTs): Designed for low-energy gamma rays (20 GeV – 3 TeV), these telescopes stand 45 meters tall, weigh about 100 tonnes, and feature 23-meter diameter mirrors. They can reposition to a new target within 20 seconds.
  2. Medium-Sized Telescopes (MSTs): Covering the mid-energy range (80 GeV – 50 TeV), these telescopes are 27 meters tall and weigh 80 tonnes. Their mirrors have a diameter of 12 meters.
  3. Small-Sized Telescopes (SSTs): These are optimized for the highest energy gamma rays (1-300 TeV), standing 9 meters tall, weighing between 9 and 19 tonnes, and featuring mirrors about 4 meters in diameter.

In total, the CTAO will utilize over 7,000 highly-reflective mirror facets, ranging from 90 cm to 2 meters in diameter, to focus light into the telescopes’ cameras. The cameras will employ high-speed digitization technology capable of recording up to one billion frames per second, resolving individual photons. Photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) and silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) will work in tandem to convert light into electrical signals for processing.

Data Generation and Management

In its first five years of operation, the CTAO, a Big Data initiative, is anticipated to produce about 100 petabytes (PB) of data. This vast amount of data will require sophisticated management and analysis strategies to maximize its scientific value.

Project Status and Future Prospects

Significant progress has already been made in constructing the CTAO. Prototypes for the Medium-Sized Telescope and three designs for the Small-Sized Telescope have achieved “first light,” and the prototype of the Large-Sized Telescope (LST-1) was inaugurated in October 2018. These prototypes will undergo testing before being accepted for full integration into the CTAO.

As the CTAO continues to develop, it promises to revolutionize our understanding of high-energy astrophysics and pave the way for groundbreaking discoveries in fundamental physics. By bridging the gaps in current observational capabilities, the CTAO will not only enhance our comprehension of known cosmic phenomena but also potentially uncover entirely new classes of gamma-ray emitters, ultimately transforming our view of the universe.

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