Ground-based gamma-ray astronomy

H.E.S.S.: High Energy Stereoscopic System

The H.E.S.S. experiment in Namibia is operated by an international cooperation. The University of Hamburg was one of the few initial German partners since 2000. The large telescopes with up to 600 sqm of mirror surface capture Cherenkov light produced by energetic particles in the atmosphere. The imaging information recorded in an ultra-fast camera is used to determine origin, energy and particle type. This technique has opened the very high energy sky to Astrophysical observations.  

CTA: Cherenkov Telescope Array

The next generation of ground-based instruments is mainly driven by the development of the Cherenkov telescope array (CTA). We are currently involved in the deployment and commissioning of the first telescopes of the northern site of the CTA observatory on La Palma. In the coming years, these telescopes will be the most sensitive instruments in the energy range above a few 10 GeV up to TeV energies.

TAIGA Cherenkov telescope

HiSCORE: Hundred Times*i Square-kilometer Cosmic ORigin Explorer

This research activity aims at opening up the ultra-high energy gamma-ray regime (energies above 10 TeV and up to PeV), so far only poorly covered. One of the main motivations is the search for Galactic cosmic ray Pevatrons.

HiSCORE is a timing-array concept based on air Cherenkov stations with a wide field of view (30 deg. half opening angle) distributed over a very large area. The first implementation of the HiSCORE concept was realized in the Tunka-valley. After several prototype stages, 28 stations covering an area of 0.25 square-km were installed until 2015. Since this detector stage, the HiSCORE array is part of the TAIGA (Tunka Advanced Instrument for Gamma Ray Astrophysics) experiment.

TAIGA: Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic ray physics and Gamma Astronomy

TAIGA uses a unique approach, combining the timing (HiSCORE) technique with imaging air Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). A first IACT was installed and commissioned in 2016. Currently (2017), further 30 HiSCORE stations and an additional IACT are being installed in 2017/18. Until 2019, TAIGA will consist of a 1 square-km HiSCORE array and 3 IACTs.