Current status and operation of the H.E.S.S. array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes

The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is an array of five imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) to study gamma-ray emission from astrophysical objects in the Southern hemisphere. It is the only hybrid array of IACTs, composed of telescopes with different collection area and footp...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Ohm, Stefan (Author) , Wagner, Stefan (Author)
Format: Article (Journal)
Language:English
Published: 28 June 2023
In: Nuclear instruments & methods in physics research. Section A, Accelerators, spectrometers, detectors and associated equipment
Year: 2023, Volume: 1055, Pages: 1-4
ISSN:1872-9576
DOI:10.1016/j.nima.2023.168442
Online Access:Resolving-System, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2023.168442
Verlag, kostenfrei, Volltext: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0168900223004321
Get full text
Author Notes:Stefan Ohm, Stefan Wagner, for the H.E.S.S. Collaboration
Description
Summary:The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is an array of five imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) to study gamma-ray emission from astrophysical objects in the Southern hemisphere. It is the only hybrid array of IACTs, composed of telescopes with different collection area and footprint, individually optimised for a specific energy range. Collectively, the array is most sensitive to gamma rays in the range of 100GeV to 100TeV. The array has been in operation since 2002 and has been upgraded with new telescopes and cameras multiple times. Recent hardware upgrades and changes in the operational procedures increased the amount of observing time, which is of key importance for time-domain science. H.E.S.S. operations saw record data taking in 2020 and 2021 and we describe the current operations with specific emphasis on system performance, operational processes and workflows, quality control, and (near) real-time extraction of science results. In light of this, we will briefly discuss the early detection of gamma-ray emission from the recurrent nova RS Oph and alert distribution to the astrophysics community.
Item Description:Gesehen am 09.04.2024
Physical Description:Online Resource
ISSN:1872-9576
DOI:10.1016/j.nima.2023.168442