Thursday, December 16, 2021, 16:00
online only
(for the zoom link contact michael.spira@psi.ch, johannes.schlenk@psi.ch or
antonio.coutinho@psi.ch)
Rene Ong, University of California, Los Angeles
Abstract:
The field of very high energy (VHE) astronomy had been revolutionized by
the results from ground-based gamma-ray telescopes, including the
current atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes: HESS, MAGIC and VERITAS. The
Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) will capitalize on the power of the
Cherenkov technique to achieve a better angular resolution, a wider
energy range and field of view, and much greater collection area
compared to existing instruments. This will allow CTA to carry out much
deeper surveys of the VHE universe to explore key science topics such as
cosmic particle acceleration on all scales and understanding extreme
environments close to neutron stars and black holes. Exploring physics
frontiers is another important component of CTA science, including the
search for WIMP dark matter and axion-like particles. CTA will consist
of two large arrays, one in each hemisphere, each containing telescopes
of different sizes to provide a balance between cost and overall
performance over a wide energy range. This talk will review the current
status of VHE astronomy, provide the scientific motivation for CTA, and
summarize the current status of the technical design and plan for
construction.