MAGIC
Collaboration:
- Italy:
Padova University and INFN, Siena University and INFN
- Armenia:
Yerevan Physics Institute, Cosmic Ray Division, Yerevan; Laserayin Tekhnika,
Yerevan.
- Finland:
Tuorla Observatory, Pikkio,
- Germany:
Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, München; Detektorphysik und Elektronik,
Fachbereich Physik; Universität-GH Siegen; Universität Würzburg
- South Africa: Space Research Unit, Potchefstroom University.
- Poland:
Division of Experimental Physics, University of Lódz.
- Spain: Institut
de Física dAltes Energies, Barcelona; Universitat Autònoma de
Barcelona; Universidad Complutense, Madrid.
- Russia:
Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow.
- Ucraina:
Crimean Astrophysical Observatory, Nauchny.
- USA:
University of California, Davis.
Laboratory: IAC- Instituto de
Astrofísica de Canarias, ORM Observatorio Roque de los
Muchachos, La Palma, Spain
National Responsible: L.Peruzzo (Pd)
1. Goal of the experiment
The
MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cerenkov telescope) is one of the new
generation imaging Cerenkov telescopes, which will be operative at low energy
threshold in the next future.
Magic
will be the first to be operative among the other next generation experiments.
The aim is to lower the
energy threshold by at least one order of magnitude with respect to the present
ground-based telescopes. This together with the increased upper energy threshold
of satellites (Agile, Glast) will close the observative gap between 1-10 GeV and
300 GeV presently existing.
More on the experiment...
2.
Activities during 2002
- Pre-production
of L2 boards.
- Development
of L2 software.
- First
integration in La Palma of trigger system.
- Final
integration in La Palma of the alert system for GRBs.
- Raw
blank production at LNL.
- Mirror
pre-milling.
- Mirror
polishing.
- Panel
assembling.
The following achievements have been obtained:
- Production of the remaining
300 mirrors (100 %)
- 50% of the reflecting
surface installed and aligned on the telescope (100 %)
Milestones 2003
950
metallic mirrors polished with diamond tool and coated |
February 2003 |
Tests at La Palma on telescope with L1 trigger and DAQ |
February 2003 |
Production of L2 boards and related software |
February 2003 |
Completion
of mirror panels at Eching |
April 2003 |
Tests and calibration at La Palma on the Crab Nebula |
April 2003 |
Installation
of all the panels onto the telescope. |
August 2003 |
Installation of L2 trigger at La Palma and tests. |
August 2003 |
Start of Physics Data Acquisition. |
August 2003 |
3. INFN contribution to the experiment in
terms of manpower and financial support
Manpower: Manpower: 14 researches (9.7 FTE) and technical support by mechanic and
electronic workshop of Sezione di Padova and LNL.
Budget for the Year 2003: 0.9 % of the CSN2 budget for 2003
4. Publications in refereed journals (Year 2002):
5. Conferences talks (Year 2002): 6
6. Number
of undergraduate and doctoral theses on the experiment (Year 2002):
- 3 undergraduate thesis in progress
7. Leadership
roles and primary responsibilities in the experiment
- Responsibility
of the construction of the reflecting surface (L. Peruzzo).
- Co-spokesperson
of MAGIC Project (M. Mariotti).
- Responsibility
of Trigger (R. Paoletti).
- Software
coordinator (D. Bastieri).
- Responsibility
of the GRB alarm system (D. Bastieri).
8. Innovative
instruments
- Innovative production of the raw blanks for the
individual all metal mirrors which form the parabolic 17
m surface.
- Fast n-fold (n=3,4,5) next-neighbour logic trigger 1st
level (2 ns pattern recognition).
- Topological 2nd level trigger (200 ns pattern
recognition).
- GRB alarm system (agreement with NASA).
9. Competing
experiments
- HESS. To be installed in southern hemisphere. Smaller
mirrors but with stereoscopic system. One of the 4
telescopes installed.
- VERITAS. To be installed in USA. Similar technique with
higher threshold and sensitivity but better energy
resolution. Construction not yet started.
- CANGAROO III. To be installed in Australia. Smaller
mirrors but with stereoscopic system.
10. International Committee which has
reviewed the experiment
The MAGIC telescope experiment has been reviewed and approved by
the MPI association (Muenchen), by BMBF and by IFAE (Barcelona)