Speaker
Luca Latronico
(INFN Pisa)
Description
The Gamma-ray Large Area Space Telescope (GLAST) is an international,
multi-agency satellite mission with a vast and ambitious physics program in
gamma-ray astronomy, particle astrophysics and cosmology. The Large Area
Telescope (LAT) is the main instrument onboard GLAST, and is currently
being integrated to the satellite in preparation for the november 2007
launch. The LAT is a unique γ-ray observatory capable of scanning the whole
sky in a few hours, building spectra over four energy decades (20 MeV-≥
300 GeV) and locating sources down to arcmin level, covering the existing
gap in the observations of the previous generation of γ-ray satellites, like
EGRET, and the most modern ground imaging Cerenkov detectors, like
HESS and MAGIC. The commissioning of the LAT instrument has combined
technologies, methods, institutions and dedication from both the high
energy physics and the γ-ray astronomy communities. The pair-conversion
telescope design was implemented making use of the most advanced
particle detectors, like an 83 m 2 silicon strip tracker, full custom readout
electronics and stiff, light structural mechanics mostly based on composite
materials. Highlights of the LAT instrument performance and of the main
technological aspects encountered during the telescope design, construction,
test and calibration phases are discussed here, as well as their impact on the
mission discovery potential.
Primary author
Luca Latronico
(INFN Pisa)
