Issue |
EPJ Web Conf.
Volume 136, 2017
RICAP16, 6th Roma International Conference on Astroparticle Physics
|
|
---|---|---|
Article Number | 03002 | |
Number of page(s) | 4 | |
Section | Gamma Rays | |
DOI | https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201713603002 | |
Published online | 23 March 2017 |
https://doi.org/10.1051/epjconf/201713603002
A Major Upgrade of the H.E.S.S. Cherenkov Cameras
1 DESY, D-15738 Zeuthen, Germany
2 Department of Physics and Astronomy, The University of Leicester, University Road, Leicester, LE1 7RH, United Kingdom
3 GRAPPA, Anton Pannekoek Institute for Astronomy, University of Amsterdam, Science Park 904, 1098 XH Amsterdam, The Netherlands
4 DSM/Irfu, CEA Saclay, F-91191 Gif-Sur-Yvette Cedex, France
5 LPNHE, Université Pierre et Marie Curie Paris 6, Université Denis Diderot Paris 7, CNRS/IN2P3, 4 Place Jussieu, F-75252, Paris Cedex 5, France
6 Laboratoire Leprince-Ringuet, Ecole Polytechnique, CNRS/IN2P3, F-91128 Palaiseau, France
7 Max-Planck-Institut für Kernphysik, P.O. Box 103980, D-69029 Heidelberg, Germany
a e-mail: iryna.lypova@desy.de
b e-mail: gianluca.giavitto@desy.de
Published online: 23 March 2017
The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is an array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) located in Namibia. It was built to detect Very High Energy (VHE, >100 GeV) cosmic gamma rays, and consists of four 12 m diameter Cherenkov telescopes (CT1-4), built in 2003, and a larger 28 m telescope (CT5), built in 2012. The larger mirror surface of CT5 permits to lower the energy threshold of the array down to 30 GeV. The cameras of CT1-4 are currently undergoing an extensive upgrade, with the goals of reducing their failure rate, reducing their readout dead time and improving the overall performance of the array. The entire camera electronics has been renewed from ground-up, as well as the power, ventilation and pneumatics systems, and the control and data acquisition software. Technical solutions forseen for the next-generation Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory have been introduced, most notably the readout is based on the NECTAr analog memory chip. The camera control subsystems and the control software framework also pursue an innovative design, increasing the camera performance, robustness and flexibility. The CT1 camera has been upgraded in July 2015 and is currently taking data; CT2-4 will upgraded in Fall 2016. Together they will assure continuous operation of H.E.S.S at its full sensitivity until and possibly beyond the advent of CTA. This contribution describes the design, the testing and the in-lab and on-site performance of all components of the newly upgraded H.E.S.S. camera.
© The Authors, published by EDP Sciences, 2017
This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 4.0, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.
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