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VERITAS Trevor C. Weekes Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

VERITAS Trevor C. Weekes Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics. Motivation Description Telescope-1 Site Current Status. The Relativistic Universe. The Relativistic Universe is defined by the presence of high energy particles,

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VERITAS Trevor C. Weekes Harvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics

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  1. VERITAS Trevor C. WeekesHarvard-Smithsonian Center for Astrophysics Motivation Description Telescope-1 Site Current Status

  2. The Relativistic Universe The Relativistic Universe is defined by the presence of high energy particles, the sites where the particles are accelerated, the mechanisms by which they are accelerated, and the regions through which they propagate. Their presence is indicated by the emiossion of TeV gamma rays. PANIC05 Sante Fe

  3. Active Galactic Nuclei Extragalactic Background Light Gamma Ray Bursts Shell-type Supernova Remnants Galactic Diffuse Emission Gamma-ray Pulsars Plerions Unidentified Galactic EGRET Sources Dark Matter (Neutralino Annihilation) Cosmic Ray Origin Lorentz symmetry violation Overview of VERITAS Science PANIC05 Sante Fe

  4. VERITAS : Organization Teaming Agreement Collaborators Iowa State University Adler Planetarium Leeds University Barnard College McGill University DePauw University National University of Ireland, Dublin Grinnell College Purdue University U.C. Santa Cruz Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory U. Mass. University of California, Los Angeles N.U.I., Galway University of Chicago Cork I.T. University of Utah Galway-Mayo I.T. Washington University, Saint Louis (Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System) The VERITAS Collaboration Project Office: Whipple Observatory, SAO VERITAS 12m Telescope Funding from NSF/DOE/Smithsonian/PPARC/SFI/NSERC

  5. VERITAS-4: Definition System of four telescopes Aperture 12 m Hexagonal Mirrors Cameras with 499 pixels Individual pulse shapes; FADCs 500MHz sampling High data rate; zero suppress. Array Trigger Southern Arizona location Dark site: 1.8 km History: 1996 VERITAS proposed 2001 Prototype funded 2003 VERITAS approved 2006 VERITAS completed PANIC05 Sante Fe

  6. PANIC05 Sante Fe

  7. VERITAS, 2006 4 tel. MAGIC, 1 tel., 2004 2 tel., 2008 CANGAROO III, 4 tel., 2006 HESS, 4 tel., 2003 5 tel., 2007 World Picture of ACIT TeV Observatories

  8. Master Plan for VERITAS • Operate Telescope-1 at temporary site at Whipple Observatory Basecamp, 2005 Check that it meets all specifications • Optimize Camera and Telescope • VERITAS in operation October, 2006 PANIC05 Sante Fe

  9. First VERITAS Camera 499 pixels; 0.15 degree diameter 3.5 degree FoV PANIC05 Sante Fe

  10. Telescope Electronics Camera Array Control Building 500MHz Digitization 64us deep memory 140ft 75W PMT x Readout Array Trigger Current monitor Charge Injection Pattern Sensitive Trigger Delays ~200m fiber CFD VERITAS ELECTRONICS Pixel: 28mm Photonis XP2970/02 PMT Pre-amplifier located in the base of each pixel Readout of each PMT through dual-gain 8-bit FADC boards Three Level Trigger System: Pixel Pattern Array PANIC05 Sante Fe

  11. VERITAS TELESCOPE-1 VERITAS Telescope-1 completed and operating at temporary site. First Light on February 1, 2005 (Crab detection) PANIC05 Sante Fe

  12. The Good News! • Telescope-1 meets all technical specifications • FADC camera works well PANIC05 Sante Fe

  13. Hadron Hadron Gamma ray Muon Ring PANIC05 Sante Fe

  14. PANIC05 Sante Fe

  15. The Good News! • Telescope-1 meets all technical specifications • FADC camera works well • Crab Nebula detected PANIC05 Sante Fe

  16. Crab Nebula 4.37 hours ON; +21.1 sigma 2.56 gammas/minute 10.1 sigma/sqrt(time in hours) PANIC05 Sante Fe

  17. 1 GeV 100 GeV Whipple 10 m (3s in 50 hrs) GLAST (2 Years) VERITAS-4(3s in 50 hrs) Di Differential Flux Sensitivity VERITAS will match sensitivity of HESS and will complement GLAST (2007) PANIC05 Sante Fe

  18. The Good News! • Telescope-1 meets all technical specifications • FADC camera works well • Crab Nebula detected • Excellent site selected for location of VERITAS: Horseshoe Canyon on Kitt Peak iin southern Arizona PANIC05 Sante Fe

  19. Horseshoe Canyon, Kitt Peak Kitt Peak, Arizona VERITAS Dark; well shielded Good Elevation: 5,800’ Excellent Infrastructure Paved Road PANIC05 Sante Fe

  20. The Good News! • Telescope-1 meets all technical specifications • FADC camera works well • Crab Nebula detected • Excellent site selected for location of VERITAS: Horseshoe Canyon on Kitt Peak in southern Arizona • Infrastructure for the four VERITAS telescopes completed in April, 2005 • VERITAS on schedule and within budget and meeting all technical specifications PANIC05 Sante Fe

  21. Horseshoe Canyon site ready for installation of Telescopes PANIC05 Sante Fe

  22. The Bad News! • National Science Foundation issued Stop Work order for VERITAS activity on Kitt Peak on April 7, 2005 in response to objection to construction by Tohono O’odham Nation • Complaint lodged by Nation rejected by court hearing in June, 2005 • New Environmental Assessment; this will be completed in December, 2005 • Telescope Installation starting January, 2006? • VERITAS operational December, 2006? PANIC05 Sante Fe

  23. Meanwhile: • Installation of Telescope-2 at temporary site (Whipple Basecamp) • Array Operation will be tested (Telescopes-1 & 2) • Observations with two telescope VERITAS array beginning December, 2005 • Operation of array will be optimized • Target date for VERITAS operation is still December, 2006 PANIC05 Sante Fe

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  26. VERITAS: Phase II Operating options: All 7 telescopes 3 + 4 telescopes 3 + 3 + 1 Telescopes 1 + 1 + 1 + 4 Telescopes PANIC05 Sante Fe

  27. Summary: VERITAS: on course Technically, Scientifically, Fiscal, Manpower but temporarily homeless! In Vino VERITAS PANIC05 Sante Fe

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