1. The Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System (VERITAS).
- Author
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Weekes, T. C., Bradbury, S. M., Bond, I. H., Breslin, A. C., Buckley, J. H., Carter-Lewis, D. A., Catanese, M., Dingus, B. L., Fegan, D. J., Finley, J. P., Gaidos, J., Grindlay, J., Hillas, A. M., Hermann, G., Kaaret, P., Kieda, D., Knapp, J., Krennrich, F., LeBohec, S., and Lessard, R.W.
- Subjects
TELESCOPES ,SPECTRAL sensitivity - Abstract
An overview of the current status and scientific goals of VERITAS, a proposed hexagonal array of seven 10 m aperture imaging Cherenkov telescopes, is provided. The selected site is close to Mt. Hopkins, the site of the Whipple Observatory, in Arizona. Each telescope, of 12 m focal length, will be equipped with a 499 element photomultiplier camera covering a 3.5 degree field of view. A central station will initiate the readout of 500 MHz FADCs upon receipt of multiple telescope triggers. The minimum detectable flux sensitivity will be 0.5% of the Crab Nebula flux at 200 GeV. VERITAS will operate primarily as a γ-ray observatory in the 50 GeV to 50 TeV range for the study of active galaxies, supernova remnants, pulsars and gamma-ray bursts. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]
- Published
- 2000