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.

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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.

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