Abstract
The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is an observatory for ground-based gamma-ray astronomy currently under construction, which will observe photons with very high energies (20 GeV – 300 TeV). One of the main contributions to the systematic uncertainties stems from the uncertainty on the atmospheric density profile, of molecules and aerosols. To minimize these systematics a full calibration of the atmospheric properties is important as well as a calibration of the detector response. In the paper we introduce the strategy for atmospheric simulations, use of Monte Carlo simulations and available CTA computing resources. We also describe in more detail realized and planned atmospheric simulations as well as the Czech contribution to this effort.
Highlights
The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the nextgeneration instrument for detecting very high energy (VHE) γ-rays (20 GeV – 300 TeV) and it will be the major global observatory for gamma-ray astronomy [1]
Monte Carlo (MC) simulations for the CTA are performed on the CTA Computing Grid (CTACG)
As mentioned earlier the Earth‘s atmosphere is very important for any Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) – we are using the atmosphere as our calorimeter and it is an integral part of the detector
Summary
The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the nextgeneration instrument for detecting very high energy (VHE) γ-rays (20 GeV – 300 TeV) and it will be the major global observatory for gamma-ray astronomy [1]. These VHE γ-rays originate from non-thermal processes in the universe, both galactic (supernova remnants, pulsars or pulsar-wind nebulae) and extragalactic (active galactic nuclei, starburst galaxies, galaxy clusters or gamma ray bursts). The performance is influenced by many things such as atmospheric conditions, geomagnetic field, altitude of the site or night-sky background All of these effects need to be studied by means of detailed Monte Carlo (MC) simulations. For a general overview of the influence of atmospheric conditions on the performance of an IACT, and the corresponding atmospheric calibration strategy for the CTA, see [3]
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