Speaker
Description
Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) are specific ground-based optical telescopes with large reflective surfaces that enable the observation of high-energy cosmic gamma rays through the observation of Cherenkov light emitted by particles of Extensive Air Showers (EAS) generated by primary gamma photons in the atmosphere.
The Single-Mirror Small Size Telescope (SST-1M) is a prototype IACT originally developed for the southern array of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) by a consortium of institutes from Czechia, Poland and Switzerland. Although not ultimately selected as the final concept of SSTs for CTAO, two SST-1M prototype telescopes were installed in 2022 at the Ondřejov observatory near Prague. Both telescopes have been successfully collecting data and have already confirmed the detection of several cosmic gamma-ray sources.
The SST-1M telescopes feature an inovative camera consisting of a photo-detection plane and readout electronics, Digicam. The camera is based on silicon multiplier (SiPM) technology with fully digitised electronics. It includes a programmable triggering system, enabling data collection for calibration and analysis. The camera also incorporates a Field-Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) optimized to minimize dead time.
The telescopes can observe in stereo mode thanks to precise time synchronization of the cameras by the White Rabbit protocol and a software-based trigger, the Software Array Trigger (SWAT). Stereo-mode observations significantly enhance the telescope´s sensitivity as well as its angular and energy resolution.
The presentation will provide an update on the ongoing SST-1M project, focusing on the camera system and stereo triggering. Recent scientific achievements will also be highlighted.
