CTA
Overview
The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the next generation ground-based observatory for gamma-ray astronomy at very-high energies. With more than 100 telescopes located in the northern and southern hemispheres, CTA will be the world’s largest and most sensitive high-energy gamma-ray observatory. Building on the technology of current generation ground-based gamma-ray detectors (H.E.S.S., VERITAS and MAGIC), CTA will be ten times more sensitive and have unprecedented accuracy in its detection of high-energy gamma rays. Current gamma-ray telescope arrays host up to five individual telescopes, but CTA is designed to detect gamma rays over a larger area and a wider range of views with more than 100 telescopes located in the northern and southern hemispheres. While the CTA-South site will be placed on the Chilean ESO site at Cerro Paranal, CTA-North will be installed at the Observatorio del Roque de los Muchachos (ORM), in La Palma canarian island, which has allowed a strong Spanish involvement in the construction effort of CTA-North.
IPARCOS contribution
The High Energy Physics group is deeply involved in the design and construction of the Cherenkov Telescope Array. The main contributions of the group are related with the development of software and instrumentation for the telescopes. In this respect, Jose Luis Contreras has been leading the effort to design the CTA Data Model, while Juan Abel Barrio is deeply involved in the design and construction of the trigger electronics for the cameras of the CTA-North telescopes and is currently the convener of the Trigger & Clock Working Package of MST CTA-North telescopes. This project is the priority objective of the group at medium and long term.