very energetic radiation imaging telescope array system

11

VERY ENERGETIC RADIATION VERY ENERGETIC RADIATION IMAGING TELESCOPE ARRAY IMAGING TELESCOPE ARRAY SYSTEMSYSTEM

VERITAS

Mark Lang, National University of Ireland, Galway

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VERITAS OrganizationVERITAS Organization

Teaming Agreement CollaboratorsTeaming Agreement Collaborators

Iowa State University Adler PlanetariumIowa State University Adler Planetarium Leeds University Barnard CollegeLeeds University Barnard College McGill University DePauw UniversityMcGill University DePauw University National University of Ireland, Dublin Grinnell CollegeNational University of Ireland, Dublin Grinnell College Purdue University U.C. Santa CruzPurdue University U.C. Santa Cruz Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory U. Mass.Smithsonian Astrophysical Observatory U. Mass. University of California, Los Angeles N.U.I., GalwayUniversity of California, Los Angeles N.U.I., Galway University of Chicago Cork I.T.University of Chicago Cork I.T. University of Utah Galway-Mayo I.T.University of Utah Galway-Mayo I.T. Washington University, Saint Louis Argonne National Lab.Washington University, Saint Louis Argonne National Lab.

Funding from Funding from NSF/DOE/Smithsonian/PPARC/SFI/NSERCNSF/DOE/Smithsonian/PPARC/SFI/NSERC

The VERITAS The VERITAS CollaborationCollaboration

Project Office: Whipple Observatory, SAO(Managing Organization)

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VERITAS – UK

Leeds:

Stella Bradbury, Michael Hillas, Johannes Knapp, Jeremy Lloyd-Evans, Joachim Rose

Oxford: (Associate)

Ignacio de la Calle Perez

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VERITAS – Ireland

UCD: John Quinn

NUI Galway: Gary Gillanders, Mark Lang

Galway-Mayo Inst. Tech.: Pat Moriarty

Cork Inst. Tech.: Josh Reynolds

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VERITAS – Ireland

Data Acquisition Software

Data Analysis Software

Optical alignment

Sky-clarity monitoring

10m AGN monitoring

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Whipple Base camp site Whipple Base camp site

1967-81967-8

In

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VERITAS VERITAS 20072007

Instrument:● Four 12-m telescopes● 500-pixel cameras (3.5° FoV)● FLWO, Mt. Hopkins, Az (1268 m)● Completed Spring, 2007

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Specifications:

● Energy threshold ~ 150 GeV● Source location < 0.05°● Energy resolution ~ 10-20 %● Sensitivity (crab) ~ 31 hr -½

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Kitt Peak Site (Horseshoe Canyon).Kitt Peak Site (Horseshoe Canyon).

1010

1111

1212

85 m

109 m

85 m

35 mT1

Fall 2006

January 2007

T4

T2

T3

SinceJanuary

2006

VERITAS-4 at the Whipple Observatory

1313

Crab Signal as seen in VERITAS in real time

VERITAS:31 sigma in one hour of data taking

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Sources detected by Sources detected by VERITASVERITAS (as of November, 2007)(as of November, 2007) GALACTICGALACTIC

Crab Nebula Crab Nebula (plerion)(plerion)

LSI +61 303 LSI +61 303 (binary)(binary)**

IC433 (SNR)IC433 (SNR) Cas A (SNR)Cas A (SNR) MGRO J1908 (dark)MGRO J1908 (dark)

EXTRAGALACTICEXTRAGALACTIC Mrk 421 (blazar)Mrk 421 (blazar) Mrk 501 (blazar)Mrk 501 (blazar) H1426+42 (blazar)H1426+42 (blazar) 1ES2344 (blazar)1ES2344 (blazar) 1ES1218 (blazar)1ES1218 (blazar) M87 (radio galaxy)M87 (radio galaxy)** RGB0152+017 RGB0152+017

(blazar)(blazar)

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LS I +61 303: BinaryLS I +61 303: Binary

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VERITAS Detection of LS I+61 303:40.8 hr of data:Oct. ’06 – Jan. ’07Two/three telescopesSignificance = +8.6 σMean rate = 0.24 +/- 0.03 γ/min

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Active X-ray RegionsActive X-ray Regions

Active TeV regionsActive TeV regions

VERITAS

1818

•44 h of 3-telescope observations

•elevations from 55o to 71o

•5.1 σ, Rate of ~0.1 γ/min

•~1.7% of Crab Nebula flux (E>250 GeV)

The Rocky Road to VERITASThe Rocky Road to VERITAS Tubac, April 27, 2007 Tubac, April 27, 2007

TeV Variability of M87 VERITAS

HESS

constant flux fit: χ2 = 21.4/22

2020

X-ray/TeV gamma-ray X-ray/TeV gamma-ray

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VERITAS Observing VERITAS Observing ProgramProgram Allocation of timeAllocation of time

Key Science Projects (50%)Key Science Projects (50%) Scheduled by TAC (35%)Scheduled by TAC (35%) Director’s Discretionary (15%) ToO and EngineeringDirector’s Discretionary (15%) ToO and Engineering

Key Projects:Key Projects: Sky Survey (130 hours)Sky Survey (130 hours) AGN (110 hours)AGN (110 hours) SNR (100 hours)SNR (100 hours) Dark Matter (60 hours)Dark Matter (60 hours)

Guest Observer ProgramGuest Observer Program Strong Associates ProgramStrong Associates Program No formal GI programNo formal GI program

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EndEnd