Calibration strategies for the Cherenkov Telescope Array
Gaug M, Berge D, Daniel M, Doro M, Foerster A, Hofmann W, Maccarone MC, Parsons D, Lopez RDLR, van Eldik C (2014)
Publication Language: English
Publication Status: Published
Publication Type: Conference contribution, Conference Contribution
Publication year: 2014
Publisher: SPIE
Book Volume: 9149
Article Number: 914919
ISBN: 9780819496171
DOI: 10.1117/12.2054536
Abstract
The Central Calibration Facilities workpackage of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory for very high energy gamma ray astronomy defines the overall calibration strategy of the array, develops dedicated hardware and software for the overall array calibration and coordinates the calibration efforts of the different telescopes. The latter include LED-based light pulsers, and various methods and instruments to achieve a calibration of the overall optical throughput. On the array level, methods for the inter-telescope calibration and the absolute calibration of the entire observatory are being developed. Additionally, the atmosphere above the telescopes, used as a calorimeter, will be monitored constantly with state-of-the-art instruments to obtain a full molecular and aerosol profile up to the stratosphere. The aim is to provide a maximal uncertainty of 10% on the reconstructed energy-scale, obtained through various independent methods. Different types of LIDAR in combination with all-sky-cameras will provide the observatory with an online, intelligent scheduling system, which, if the sky is partially covered by clouds, gives preference to sources observable under good atmospheric conditions. Wide-field optical telescopes and Raman Lidars will provide online information about the height-resolved atmospheric extinction, throughout the field-of-view of the cameras, allowing for the correction of the reconstructed energy of each gamma-ray event. The aim is to maximize the duty cycle of the observatory, in terms of usable data, while reducing the dead time introduced by calibration activities to an absolute minimum.
Authors with CRIS profile
Involved external institutions
The University of Liverpool
United Kingdom (GB)
University of Amsterdam
Netherlands (NL)
Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) / Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Spain (ES)
Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik (MPIK) / Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
Germany (DE)
University of Padua / Universita degli Studi di Padova
Italy (IT)
National Institute for Astrophysics / Istituto Nazionale Astrofisica (INAF)
Italy (IT)
United Kingdom (GB)
University of Amsterdam
Netherlands (NL)
Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) / Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona
Spain (ES)
Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik (MPIK) / Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
Germany (DE)
University of Padua / Universita degli Studi di Padova
Italy (IT)
National Institute for Astrophysics / Istituto Nazionale Astrofisica (INAF)
Italy (IT)
How to cite
APA:
Gaug, M., Berge, D., Daniel, M., Doro, M., Foerster, A., Hofmann, W.,... van Eldik, C. (2014). Calibration strategies for the Cherenkov Telescope Array. In Proceedings of the Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems V. SPIE.
MLA:
Gaug, Markus, et al. "Calibration strategies for the Cherenkov Telescope Array." Proceedings of the Observatory Operations: Strategies, Processes, and Systems V SPIE, 2014.
BibTeX: Download