Granite, a new very high energy gamma-ray telescope

Abstract

A international collaboration of astrophysicists plan to construct a new 10-meter diameter gamma-ray Cerenkov telescope at the Whipple Observatory on Mt. Hopkins in Arizona. By operatin in coincidence with the original 10-meter reflector, the sensitivity for gamma-ray detection will improve by more than an order of magnitude. The new telescope, named GRANITE (for G amma- R ay A strophysics N ew I maging Te lescope), will include a 109-element imaging photon detector wit a 0.2° pixel size. The entire system consists of a steerable alt-azimuth mount, a faceted mirror assembly, a highly segmented photon detector, and ancillary data acquisition and control electronics. This telescope is considered an engineering prototype for a large array of Cherenkov detectors which will further enhance our ability to detect astrophysical sources of very high energy gamma rays.