The Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) consists of three types of telescopes: large-sized (LST), mediumsized (MST), and small-sized (SST), distributed in two observing sites (North and South). For the CTA South “Alpha Configuration” the construction and installation of 37 (+5) SST telescopes (a number that could increase up to 70 in future upgrades) are planned. The SSTs are developed by an international consortium of institutes that will provide them as an in-kind contribution to CTAO. The SSTs rely on a Schwarzschild-Couder-like dual-mirror polynomial optical design, with a primary mirror of 4 m diameter, and are equipped with a focal plane camera based on SiPM detectors covering a field of view of ~9°. The current SST concept was validated by developing the prototype dual-mirror ASTRI-Horn Cherenkov telescope and the CHEC-S SiPM focal plane camera. In this contribution, we will present an overview of the SST key technologies, the current status of the SST project, and the planned schedule.
The Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT) is one of the telescopes proposed for the Small Sized Telescope (SST) section of CTA. Based on a dual-mirror Schwarzschild-Couder design, which allows for more compact telescopes and cameras than the usual single-mirror designs, it will be equipped with a Compact High-Energy Camera (CHEC) based on silicon photomultipliers (SiPM). In 2015, the GCT prototype was the first dual-mirror telescope constructed in the prospect of CTA to record Cherenkov light on the night sky. Further tests and observations have been performed since then. This report describes the current status of the GCT, the results of tests performed to demonstrate its compliance with CTA requirements, and the optimisation of the design for mass production. The GCT collaboration, including teams from Australia, France, Germany, Japan, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom, plans to install the first telescopes on site in Chile for 2019-2020 as part of the CTA pre-production phase.
The Capacitive Division Image Readout (C-DIR) is a simple and novel image readout for photon counting detectors
offering major performance advantages. C-DIR is a charge centroiding device comprising three elements; (i) a resistive
anode providing event charge localization, event current return path and electrical isolation from detector high voltage,
(ii) a dielectric substrate which capacitively couples the event transient signal to the third element, (iii) the readout
device; an array of capacitively coupled electrodes which divides the signal among the readout charge measurement
nodes.
The resistive anode and dielectric substrate constitute the rear interface of the detector and capacitively couple the signal
to the external C-DIR readout device. The C-DIR device is a passive, multilayer printed circuit board type device
comprising a matrix of isolated electrodes whose geometries define the capacitive network. C-DIR is manufactured using
conventional PCB geometries and is straightforward and economical to construct.
C-DIR’s robustness and simplicity belie its performance advantages. Its capacitive nature avoids partition noise, the
Poisson noise associated with collection of discrete charges. The dominant noise limiting position resolution is electronic
noise. However C-DIR also presents a low input capacitance to the readout electronics, minimising this noise component
thus maximising spatial resolution. Optimisation of the C-DIR pattern-edge geometry can provide ~90% linear dynamic
range.
We present data showing image resolution and linearity of the C-DIR device in a microchannel plate detector and
describe various electronic charge measurement scheme designed to exploit the full performance potential of the C-DIR
device.
Adaptive high speed low noise detector electronics are being developed for a UV imaging instrument for application to
astronomy and planetary science space missions and for various other terrestrial high speed imaging applications.
Forthcoming space missions such as ESA JUICE1 and the World Space Observatory2 have requirements for UV photon
counting imaging detectors with high dynamic range, high spatial resolution and high radiation tolerance. Imaging
techniques that can adapt to different luminosity conditions and optimise the image spatial resolution against the
incoming photon event rate can provide significant performance advantages.
We introduce an imaging photon counting Microchannel Plate (MCP) detector utilising a low noise Capacitive Division
Image Readout (C-DIR)3 with adaptive pulse shaping capability. Our experimental setup provides controllable photon
count rates for end-to-end detector performance measurement and system calibration. It uses a four channel fast digitiser
which enables us to easily investigate various digital pulse shaping techniques and vary shaping time constants to assess
their impact on detector performance.
In this paper we describe our laboratory experimental setup, illustrate the method of imaging from photon counting and
describe techniques for quantifying the image spatial resolution. Finally we present our current set of results comparing
the measured spatial resolution with the theoretical determined from the measured intrinsic electronic noise of the
system.
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