Configuration of the telescope array for CTA

• Grant number: 12/12347-2
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: August 01, 2012
• End date: December 31, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Physical Sciences and Mathematics - Physics - Elementary Particle Physics and Fields
• Principal Investigator: Luiz Vitor de Souza Filho
• Grantee: Rodrigo Guedes Lang
• Host Institution: Instituto de Física de São Carlos (IFSC). Universidade de São Paulo (USP). São Carlos , SP, Brazil

Abstract

This project has two aims: study astroparticle physics and participate in the efforts to configure the array of telescopes for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) Observatory. CTA is a international collaboration devoted to build the new generation of telescopes to study astroparticle physics. It is the target of the CTA Collaboration to build around 100 telescopes of three different types to measure gamma ray showers with energy between 10 GeV and 100 TeV. Gamma ray telescopes are a proven technique which lead to important discoveries in the last decade. CTA's target is to have 10 times more sensitity when compared to the current instruments in operation. The first prototypes are going to be built in 2013 and the construction of the Observatory is going to begin in 2015. Recently the astroparticle physics group at IFSC-USP has joint the experiment. In this project the student is going to use matemathical tools to optimize the array of telescopes such as to maximize its potentiality. (AU)