UK Participation in the Pre-production Phase of the Cherenkov Telescope Array 2015-2017

Lead Research Organisation: University of Leicester
Department Name: Physics and Astronomy

Abstract

Abstracts are not currently available in GtR for all funded research. This is normally because the abstract was not required at the time of proposal submission, but may be because it included sensitive information such as personal details.

Planned Impact

CTA will have an impact on a wide range of scientific questions, from the nature of gravity to how supernovae accelerate particles and how active galaxies work. In doing so, it will use new and innovative methodologies, combining techniques from both astronomy and particle physics. In the process, many highly-skilled researchers will be trained.

UK industry stands to gain both from knowledge transfer and by way of contracts for producing electronics, camera housings, mirrors and structural elements. Much of this work will be undertaken in areas of economic deprivation (e.g. North East England, North Wales) thereby contributing to regeneration and economic development. Initial development work will take place over the next 2 years, with contracts likely being placed in the following 2-3 years.

The atmosphere is an important element of our detectors, and our Monte Carlo simulations already use data from the British Atmospheric Data Centre. Wherever the telescopes are sited, it is likely to be in an area short of detailed weather data for input to climate models. CTA's weather data are therefore likely to be useful to atmospheric modellers.

The public awareness and understanding of science will be enhanced by CTA. Our scientific research covers topics of considerable interest to the public, including black holes, supernova explosions and dark matter. We have already had considerable engagement with the public through events such as Stargazing Live and the Royal Society Summer Science Exhibition, as well as giving many talks to local interest groups (Women's Institute, astronomical societies etc.) and schools. These activities will be continued and enhanced during the next few years as CTA matures as an observatory.

Early stage researchers will gain a wide range of skills from working on CTA, in areas such as programming, electronics, modelling of complex systems, image analysis etc. In addition, they will gain the 'soft skills' which come from working with people from a wide range of cultural backgrounds in the international CTA Consortium. These skills will fit them for non-academic professions. For example, recent Ph.D. graduates who have worked in CTA have already gone on to careers in teaching and software engineering and we expect many more skilled people to move into non-academic careers over the 30 year lifetime of CTA.

Publications

10 25 50

publication icon
Acharyya A (2021) Sensitivity of the Cherenkov Telescope Array to a dark matter signal from the Galactic centre in Journal of Cosmology and Astroparticle Physics

publication icon
Asano A (2018) Evaluation of silicon photomultipliers for dual-mirror Small-Sized Telescopes of Cherenkov Telescope Array in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

publication icon
De Franco A. (2015) The first GCT camera for the cherenkov telescope array in Proceedings of Science

publication icon
Dournaux J (2017) Operating performance of the gamma-ray Cherenkov telescope: An end-to-end Schwarzschild-Couder telescope prototype for the Cherenkov Telescope Array in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

publication icon
Duara A (2020) Experimental and extraction procedure for the electrical characterisation of silicon photomultiplier detectors in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

publication icon
Lapington J (2017) The GCT camera for the Cherenkov Telescope Array in Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment

 
Description This award has maintained the UK's lead role in the development of the camera system for the CHerenkov Telescope Array, Small-Sized Telescope. During this period, the CHEC-S silicon photomultilier-based camera was developed and successfuylly tested in the lab.
The CHEC-S camera was selected in a competition between three competing designs as the SST camera for the CTA observatory.
Exploitation Route This UK state-of-the-art camera system developed for CTA will enable UK scientists involved in astroparticle physics to be involved in CTA key science programmes and maintain the world-leading role in high energy astrophysics. The technolgies developed in the UK for the camera will provide and support other commercial opportunities in the UK in detector, electronics and engineering activities.
Sectors Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software)

Electronics

Manufacturing

including Industrial Biotechology

Other

URL https://www.cta-observatory.org/project/technology/sst/
 
Description The Cherenkov Telescope Array is an international facility run by an international team of researchers that will provide unparalleled astronomical observations of astroparticles at extreme energies for analysis by research groups worldwide, bringing employment to astronomers, associated researchers, research support staff, engineers, component manufacturers and local services both at the telescope site in Chile and at the many participating institutes throughout the world. CTA has a well developed public outreach arm which will inform the general public and educators alike, bringing novel and fundamental knowledge about extreme events and processes in the universe to the public gaze. Camera and telescope technologies developed for CTA have application in many other research and commercial sectors.
First Year Of Impact 2016
Sector Aerospace, Defence and Marine,Digital/Communication/Information Technologies (including Software),Education,Electronics,Healthcare,Manufacturing, including Industrial Biotechology,Pharmaceuticals and Medical Biotechnology,Other
Impact Types Cultural

Societal

Economic

 
Description Participation in a advisory committee - Particle Astrophysics Advisory Panel (2015) Prof. Osborne
Geographic Reach National 
Policy Influence Type Participation in a guidance/advisory committee
 
Description CTA Pre-production Phase Extension 2020
Amount £255,823 (GBP)
Funding ID ST/V000330/1 
Organisation Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2020 
End 12/2021
 
Description CTA-UK
Amount £257,309 (GBP)
Funding ID ST/S00260X/1 
Organisation Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 06/2018 
End 12/2019
 
Description UK participation in the pre-production phase of CTA extension 2021
Amount £171,883 (GBP)
Funding ID ST/V006371/1 
Organisation Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 01/2021 
End 03/2023
 
Description UK participation in the pre-production phase of CTA extension 2022
Amount £151,246 (GBP)
Funding ID ST/X001741/1 
Organisation Science and Technologies Facilities Council (STFC) 
Sector Public
Country United Kingdom
Start 03/2022 
End 09/2023
 
Description Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope 
Organisation Aix-Marseille University
Country France 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution UK contribution is to lead the development, manufacture and characterisation of the camera which includes the photon-counting sensor array, electronics system and the mechnical design.
Collaborator Contribution International collaboration to jointly develop and deply the Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) design for the CHerenkov Telescope Array. Contributions to the development and deployment of GCT in all areas, including design and development, including exchange of research and techcical staff, provision of required skills and expertise, training of personnel, support of component and system testing, manufacture and procurement of hardware, software and firmware, support for field trials. and eventual deployment of many (30+) GCT telescopes at final site in Chile.
Impact Development and manufacture of the GCT telescope (several tens+) for deployment on the Cherenkov Telescope Array facility in Chile. Multi-disciplinary: Telescope optics, detector system design, mechanical engineering, Monte Carlo modelling of physics.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope 
Organisation Armagh Observatory and Planetarium
Department Armagh Observatory
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution UK contribution is to lead the development, manufacture and characterisation of the camera which includes the photon-counting sensor array, electronics system and the mechnical design.
Collaborator Contribution International collaboration to jointly develop and deply the Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) design for the CHerenkov Telescope Array. Contributions to the development and deployment of GCT in all areas, including design and development, including exchange of research and techcical staff, provision of required skills and expertise, training of personnel, support of component and system testing, manufacture and procurement of hardware, software and firmware, support for field trials. and eventual deployment of many (30+) GCT telescopes at final site in Chile.
Impact Development and manufacture of the GCT telescope (several tens+) for deployment on the Cherenkov Telescope Array facility in Chile. Multi-disciplinary: Telescope optics, detector system design, mechanical engineering, Monte Carlo modelling of physics.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope 
Organisation Durham University
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution UK contribution is to lead the development, manufacture and characterisation of the camera which includes the photon-counting sensor array, electronics system and the mechnical design.
Collaborator Contribution International collaboration to jointly develop and deply the Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) design for the CHerenkov Telescope Array. Contributions to the development and deployment of GCT in all areas, including design and development, including exchange of research and techcical staff, provision of required skills and expertise, training of personnel, support of component and system testing, manufacture and procurement of hardware, software and firmware, support for field trials. and eventual deployment of many (30+) GCT telescopes at final site in Chile.
Impact Development and manufacture of the GCT telescope (several tens+) for deployment on the Cherenkov Telescope Array facility in Chile. Multi-disciplinary: Telescope optics, detector system design, mechanical engineering, Monte Carlo modelling of physics.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope 
Organisation Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg
Department Erlangen Centre for Astroparticle Physics
Country Germany 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution UK contribution is to lead the development, manufacture and characterisation of the camera which includes the photon-counting sensor array, electronics system and the mechnical design.
Collaborator Contribution International collaboration to jointly develop and deply the Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) design for the CHerenkov Telescope Array. Contributions to the development and deployment of GCT in all areas, including design and development, including exchange of research and techcical staff, provision of required skills and expertise, training of personnel, support of component and system testing, manufacture and procurement of hardware, software and firmware, support for field trials. and eventual deployment of many (30+) GCT telescopes at final site in Chile.
Impact Development and manufacture of the GCT telescope (several tens+) for deployment on the Cherenkov Telescope Array facility in Chile. Multi-disciplinary: Telescope optics, detector system design, mechanical engineering, Monte Carlo modelling of physics.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope 
Organisation Leiden University
Department Leiden Observatory
Country Netherlands 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution UK contribution is to lead the development, manufacture and characterisation of the camera which includes the photon-counting sensor array, electronics system and the mechnical design.
Collaborator Contribution International collaboration to jointly develop and deply the Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) design for the CHerenkov Telescope Array. Contributions to the development and deployment of GCT in all areas, including design and development, including exchange of research and techcical staff, provision of required skills and expertise, training of personnel, support of component and system testing, manufacture and procurement of hardware, software and firmware, support for field trials. and eventual deployment of many (30+) GCT telescopes at final site in Chile.
Impact Development and manufacture of the GCT telescope (several tens+) for deployment on the Cherenkov Telescope Array facility in Chile. Multi-disciplinary: Telescope optics, detector system design, mechanical engineering, Monte Carlo modelling of physics.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope 
Organisation Max Planck Society
Department Max Planck Institute for Nuclear Physics
Country Germany 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution UK contribution is to lead the development, manufacture and characterisation of the camera which includes the photon-counting sensor array, electronics system and the mechnical design.
Collaborator Contribution International collaboration to jointly develop and deply the Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) design for the CHerenkov Telescope Array. Contributions to the development and deployment of GCT in all areas, including design and development, including exchange of research and techcical staff, provision of required skills and expertise, training of personnel, support of component and system testing, manufacture and procurement of hardware, software and firmware, support for field trials. and eventual deployment of many (30+) GCT telescopes at final site in Chile.
Impact Development and manufacture of the GCT telescope (several tens+) for deployment on the Cherenkov Telescope Array facility in Chile. Multi-disciplinary: Telescope optics, detector system design, mechanical engineering, Monte Carlo modelling of physics.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope 
Organisation Nagoya University
Department Institute for Space-Earth Environmental Research
Country Japan 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution UK contribution is to lead the development, manufacture and characterisation of the camera which includes the photon-counting sensor array, electronics system and the mechnical design.
Collaborator Contribution International collaboration to jointly develop and deply the Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) design for the CHerenkov Telescope Array. Contributions to the development and deployment of GCT in all areas, including design and development, including exchange of research and techcical staff, provision of required skills and expertise, training of personnel, support of component and system testing, manufacture and procurement of hardware, software and firmware, support for field trials. and eventual deployment of many (30+) GCT telescopes at final site in Chile.
Impact Development and manufacture of the GCT telescope (several tens+) for deployment on the Cherenkov Telescope Array facility in Chile. Multi-disciplinary: Telescope optics, detector system design, mechanical engineering, Monte Carlo modelling of physics.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope 
Organisation Observatory of Paris
Country France 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution UK contribution is to lead the development, manufacture and characterisation of the camera which includes the photon-counting sensor array, electronics system and the mechnical design.
Collaborator Contribution International collaboration to jointly develop and deply the Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) design for the CHerenkov Telescope Array. Contributions to the development and deployment of GCT in all areas, including design and development, including exchange of research and techcical staff, provision of required skills and expertise, training of personnel, support of component and system testing, manufacture and procurement of hardware, software and firmware, support for field trials. and eventual deployment of many (30+) GCT telescopes at final site in Chile.
Impact Development and manufacture of the GCT telescope (several tens+) for deployment on the Cherenkov Telescope Array facility in Chile. Multi-disciplinary: Telescope optics, detector system design, mechanical engineering, Monte Carlo modelling of physics.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope 
Organisation University of Adelaide
Department School of Chemistry and Physics
Country Australia 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution UK contribution is to lead the development, manufacture and characterisation of the camera which includes the photon-counting sensor array, electronics system and the mechnical design.
Collaborator Contribution International collaboration to jointly develop and deply the Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) design for the CHerenkov Telescope Array. Contributions to the development and deployment of GCT in all areas, including design and development, including exchange of research and techcical staff, provision of required skills and expertise, training of personnel, support of component and system testing, manufacture and procurement of hardware, software and firmware, support for field trials. and eventual deployment of many (30+) GCT telescopes at final site in Chile.
Impact Development and manufacture of the GCT telescope (several tens+) for deployment on the Cherenkov Telescope Array facility in Chile. Multi-disciplinary: Telescope optics, detector system design, mechanical engineering, Monte Carlo modelling of physics.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope 
Organisation University of Amsterdam
Department Center of Excellence for Gravitation and Astroparticle Physics
Country Netherlands 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution UK contribution is to lead the development, manufacture and characterisation of the camera which includes the photon-counting sensor array, electronics system and the mechnical design.
Collaborator Contribution International collaboration to jointly develop and deply the Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) design for the CHerenkov Telescope Array. Contributions to the development and deployment of GCT in all areas, including design and development, including exchange of research and techcical staff, provision of required skills and expertise, training of personnel, support of component and system testing, manufacture and procurement of hardware, software and firmware, support for field trials. and eventual deployment of many (30+) GCT telescopes at final site in Chile.
Impact Development and manufacture of the GCT telescope (several tens+) for deployment on the Cherenkov Telescope Array facility in Chile. Multi-disciplinary: Telescope optics, detector system design, mechanical engineering, Monte Carlo modelling of physics.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope 
Organisation University of Hawaii
Department Department of Physics and Astronomy
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution UK contribution is to lead the development, manufacture and characterisation of the camera which includes the photon-counting sensor array, electronics system and the mechnical design.
Collaborator Contribution International collaboration to jointly develop and deply the Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) design for the CHerenkov Telescope Array. Contributions to the development and deployment of GCT in all areas, including design and development, including exchange of research and techcical staff, provision of required skills and expertise, training of personnel, support of component and system testing, manufacture and procurement of hardware, software and firmware, support for field trials. and eventual deployment of many (30+) GCT telescopes at final site in Chile.
Impact Development and manufacture of the GCT telescope (several tens+) for deployment on the Cherenkov Telescope Array facility in Chile. Multi-disciplinary: Telescope optics, detector system design, mechanical engineering, Monte Carlo modelling of physics.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope 
Organisation University of Liverpool
Department Department of Electrical Engineering and Electronics
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution UK contribution is to lead the development, manufacture and characterisation of the camera which includes the photon-counting sensor array, electronics system and the mechnical design.
Collaborator Contribution International collaboration to jointly develop and deply the Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) design for the CHerenkov Telescope Array. Contributions to the development and deployment of GCT in all areas, including design and development, including exchange of research and techcical staff, provision of required skills and expertise, training of personnel, support of component and system testing, manufacture and procurement of hardware, software and firmware, support for field trials. and eventual deployment of many (30+) GCT telescopes at final site in Chile.
Impact Development and manufacture of the GCT telescope (several tens+) for deployment on the Cherenkov Telescope Array facility in Chile. Multi-disciplinary: Telescope optics, detector system design, mechanical engineering, Monte Carlo modelling of physics.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope 
Organisation University of Oxford
Department Division of Structural Biology
Country United Kingdom 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution UK contribution is to lead the development, manufacture and characterisation of the camera which includes the photon-counting sensor array, electronics system and the mechnical design.
Collaborator Contribution International collaboration to jointly develop and deply the Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) design for the CHerenkov Telescope Array. Contributions to the development and deployment of GCT in all areas, including design and development, including exchange of research and techcical staff, provision of required skills and expertise, training of personnel, support of component and system testing, manufacture and procurement of hardware, software and firmware, support for field trials. and eventual deployment of many (30+) GCT telescopes at final site in Chile.
Impact Development and manufacture of the GCT telescope (several tens+) for deployment on the Cherenkov Telescope Array facility in Chile. Multi-disciplinary: Telescope optics, detector system design, mechanical engineering, Monte Carlo modelling of physics.
Start Year 2012
 
Description Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope 
Organisation Washington University in St Louis
Country United States 
Sector Academic/University 
PI Contribution UK contribution is to lead the development, manufacture and characterisation of the camera which includes the photon-counting sensor array, electronics system and the mechnical design.
Collaborator Contribution International collaboration to jointly develop and deply the Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) design for the CHerenkov Telescope Array. Contributions to the development and deployment of GCT in all areas, including design and development, including exchange of research and techcical staff, provision of required skills and expertise, training of personnel, support of component and system testing, manufacture and procurement of hardware, software and firmware, support for field trials. and eventual deployment of many (30+) GCT telescopes at final site in Chile.
Impact Development and manufacture of the GCT telescope (several tens+) for deployment on the Cherenkov Telescope Array facility in Chile. Multi-disciplinary: Telescope optics, detector system design, mechanical engineering, Monte Carlo modelling of physics.
Start Year 2012
 
Title GCT photon-counting camera for CTA 
Description A photon-counting camera specifically designed for the Small-Sized Telescope array of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). CTA is a 300M Euro international astroparticle astronomy facility undergoing construction at two sites in La Palma and Chile. There will be 35+ such cameras deployed on CTA, within the next 5 years. Each camera utilises an array of 2048 silicon photomultipliers to detect Cherenov light showers of ~10 nanseconds in width which are produced by a very high energy astroparticle (up to 300 TeV) from a cosmic event of extreme energy. 
Type Of Technology Detection Devices 
Year Produced 2015 
Impact The first GCT camera prototype underwent preliminary laboratory tests last year. In November 2015, the camera was installed on a prototype GCT telescope (SST-GATE) in Paris and was used to successfully record the first Cherenkov light of any CTA prototype, and the first Cherenkov light seen with a a new design of telescope with dual-mirror optical system, specifically developed for CTA. 
URL https://www.cta-observatory.org/cta-prototype-telescope-achieves-first-light-3/
 
Title TARGET electronics module 
Description A major revision of the TARGET electronics module designed for application to photon-counting cameras deployed on the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). CTA is a 300M Euro international facility for astroparticle astronomy. The TARGET module is a 64 channel 12-bit, 1 GSample per second digitizer with trigger functionality. 
Type Of Technology Systems, Materials & Instrumental Engineering 
Year Produced 2017 
Impact The TARGET electronics module is currently planned for use as core components of the electronics systems of the GCT and possibly SCT cameras to be deployed on CTA. The cameras require 32-177 TARGET modules depending upon type. There are likely to be 35+ such cameras eventually deployed on CTA by its completion in early 2020s. 
 
Description CTA Talk - Universidad Autonoma Metropolitana Iztapalapa Apr-18 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Undergraduate students
Results and Impact Physics department seminar at UAM-I Mexico City, March 2018. I introduced CTA, and presented the broad range of research being undertaken at Leicester.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description CTA-UK Monte Carlo simulation and analysis workshop Jan-18 
Form Of Engagement Activity A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A workshop bringing UK experts together to develop Monte Carlo modelling techniques for simulation of telescope and detector designs for Cherenkov Telescope Array, and use these in the analyses of simulated data challenge activities released by the international CTA consortium.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2018
 
Description CTA-UK simulation/analysis workshop Sep-16 
Form Of Engagement Activity Participation in an activity, workshop or similar
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact A workshop bringing experts together on simulation and analysis of telecsope and detector designs for Cherenkov Telescope Array.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2016
 
Description IoP Particle Detectors and Instrumentation UK Meeting, September 2017 
Form Of Engagement Activity A talk or presentation
Part Of Official Scheme? No
Geographic Reach National
Primary Audience Professional Practitioners
Results and Impact The aim of the meeting was to build connections between particle physicists researching into novel silicon detectors for future collider experiments and other applications such as medical physics or astronomy, and the wider UK sensors and instrumentation community, with the goal of identifying areas where industry can assist the high energy physics world, and possible further applications of the latest innovations.
Year(s) Of Engagement Activity 2017
URL https://indico.cern.ch/event/654712/