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Description
The field of very-high-energy gamma-ray astrophysics is poised for a significant leap in sensitivity with the advent of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO), which will operate from two locations to achieve full-sky coverage. Among the proposed instruments for the medium-sized telescope (MST) class at the CTAO-South site is the Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (SCT). This telescope adopts an innovative dual-mirror optical configuration and employs a high-resolution camera based on silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs). A prototype version of the telescope, the pSCT, was deployed at the Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory in Arizona, USA. Even with a partially populated camera featuring a 2.7° field of view, the instrument succeeded in detecting the Crab Nebula in 2020 with a statistical significance of 8.6σ.
An extensive upgrade of the focal plane is now underway to equip the camera with 11,382 enhanced SiPMs, expanding the field of view from 2.7° to 8°. This improvement is expected to deliver excellent angular resolution (≈0.07°) and superior background rejection. In parallel, newly developed low-noise front-end electronics will lower the trigger threshold and refine event reconstruction capabilities. This work summarizes the pSCT project, highlights recent results, and outlines the progress and expected performance of the upgraded camera.