arXiv subjects

M. C. Maccarone

Publications and source records attributed to M. C. Maccarone.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

arXiv2024

Gain variations as induced by the diffuse night sky background: the ASTRI-Horn experience

ASTRI-Horn is the prototype of the nine telescopes that form the ASTRI Mini-Array, under construction at the Teide Observatory in Tenerife (Spain), devoted to observe the sky in the 1--200 TeV energy band. It adopts an innovative optical design based on a dual-mirror Schwarzschild-Couder configuration, and the camera, composed by a matrix of monolithic multipixel silicon photomultipliers (SiPMs) is managed by ad-hoc tailored front-end electronics based on a peak-detector operation mode. During the Crab Nebula campaign in 2018-2019, ASTRI-Horn was affected by gain variations induced by high levels of night sky background. This paper reports the work performed to detect and quantify the effects of these gain variations in shower images. The analysis requested the use of simultaneous observations of the night sky background flux in the wavelength band 300-650 nm performed with the auxiliary instrument UVscope, a calibrated multi-anode photomultiplier working in single counting mode. As results, a maximum gain reduction of 15% was observed, in agreement with the value previously computed from the variance of the night sky background level in each image. This ASTRI-Horn gain reduction was caused by current limitation of the voltage supply. The analysis presented in this paper provides a method to evaluate possible variations in the nominal response of SiPMs when scientific observations are performed in the presence of high night sky background as in moon conditions.

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arXiv2024

The Online Observation Quality System Implementation for the ASTRI Mini-Array Project

The ASTRI Mini-Array project, led by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics, aims to construct and operate nine Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes for high-energy gamma-ray source study and stellar intensity interferometry. Located at the Teide Astronomical Observatory in Tenerife, the project's software is essential for remote operation, emphasizing the need for prompt feedback on observations. This contribution introduces the Online Observation Quality System (OOQS) as part of the Supervisory Control And Data Acquisition (SCADA) software. OOQS performs real-time data quality checks on data from Cherenkov cameras and Intensity Interferometry instruments. It provides feedback to SCADA and operators, highlighting abnormal conditions and ensuring quick corrective actions for optimal observations. Results are archived for operator visualization and further analysis. The OOQS data quality pipeline prototype utilizes a distributed application with three main components to handle the maximum array data rate of 1.15 Gb/s. The first is a Kafka consumer that manages the data stream from the Array Data Acquisition System through Apache Kafka, handling the data serialization and deserialization involved in the transmission. The data stream is divided into batches of data written in files. The second component monitors new files and conducts analyses using the Slurm workload scheduler, leveraging its parallel processing capabilities and scalability. Finally, the process results are collected by the last component and stored in the Quality Archive.

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arXiv2023

The Online Observation Quality System Software Architecture for the ASTRI Mini-Array Project

The ASTRI Mini-Array is an international collaboration led by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics. This project aims to construct and operate an array of nine Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes to study gamma-ray sources at very high energy (TeV) and perform stellar intensity interferometry observations. We describe the software architecture and the technologies used to implement the Online Observation Quality System (OOQS) for the ASTRI Mini-Array project. The OOQS aims to execute data quality checks on the data acquired in real-time by the Cherenkov cameras and intensity interferometry instruments, and provides feedback to both the Central Control System and the Operator about abnormal conditions detected. The OOQS can notify other sub-systems, triggering their reaction to promptly correct anomalies. The results from the data quality analyses (e.g. camera plots, histograms, tables, and more) are stored in the Quality Archive for further investigation and they are summarised in reports available to the Operator. Once the OOQS results are stored, the operator can visualize them using the Human Machine Interface. The OOQS is designed to manage the high data rate generated by the instruments (up to 4.5 GB/s) and received from the Array Data Acquisition System through the Kafka service. The data are serialized and deserialized during the transmission using the Avro framework. The Slurm workload scheduler executes the analyses exploiting key features such as parallel analyses and scalability.

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arXiv2023

The ASTRI Cherenkov Camera: from the prototype to the industrial version for the Mini-Array

The observation of energetic astronomical sources emitting very high-energy gamma-rays in the TeV spectral range (as e.g. supernova remnants or blazars) is mainly based on detecting the Cherenkov light induced by relativistic particles in the showers produced by the photon interaction with the Earth atmosphere. The ASTRI Mini-Array is an INAF-led project aimed observing such celestial objects in the 1 - 100 TeV energy range. It consists of an array of nine innovative imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes that are an evolution of the dual-mirror aplanatic ASTRI-Horn telescope operating at the INAF "M.C. Fracastoro" observing station (Serra La Nave, Mount Etna, Italy). The ASTRI Mini-Array is currently under construction at the Observatorio del Teide (Tenerife, Spain). In this paper, we present the compact (diameter 660mm, height 520mm, weight 73kg) ASTRI-Horn prototype Cherenkov Camera based on a modular multipixel Silicon Photon Multiplier (SiPM) detector, has been acquiring data since 2016 and allowing us to obtain both scientific data and essential lessons. In this contribution, we report the main features of the camera and its evolution toward the new Cherenkov camera, which will be installed on each ASTRI Mini-Array telescope to cover an unprecedented field of view of 10.5°.

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arXiv2022

ASTRI Mini-Array Core Science at the Observatorio del Teide

The ASTRI (Astrofisica con Specchi a Tecnologia Replicante Italiana) Project led by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) is developing and will deploy at the Observatorio del Teide a mini-array (ASTRI Mini-Array) composed of nine telescopes similar to the small-size dual-mirror Schwarzschild-Couder telescope (ASTRI-Horn) currently operating on the slopes of Mt. Etna in Sicily. The ASTRI Mini-Array will surpass the current Cherenkov telescope array differential sensitivity above a few tera-electronvolt (TeV), extending the energy band well above hundreds of TeV. This will allow us to explore a new window of the electromagnetic spectrum, by convolving the sensitivity performance with excellent angular and energy resolution figures. In this paper we describe the Core Science that we will address during the first four years of operation, providing examples of the breakthrough results that we will obtain when dealing with current open questions, such as the acceleration of cosmic rays, cosmology and fundamental physics and the new window, for the TeV energy band, of the time-domain astrophysics.

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arXiv2021

The Online Observation Quality System for the ASTRI Mini-Array

The ASTRI Mini-Array is an international collaboration led by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), aiming to construct and operate an array of nine Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) to study gamma-ray sources at very high energy (TeV) and to perform stellar intensity interferometry observations. This contribution describes the design and the technologies used by the ASTRI team to implement the Online Observation Quality System (OOQS). The main objective of the OOQS is to perform data quality analyses in real-time during Cherenkov and intensity interferometry observations to provide feedback to both the Central Control System and the Operator. The OOQS performs the analysis of key data quality parameters and can generate alarms to other sub-systems for a fast reaction to solve critical conditions. The results from the data quality analyses are saved into the Quality Archive for further investigations. The Operator can visualise the OOQS results through the Operator Human Machine Interface as soon as they are produced. The main challenge addressed by the OOQS design is to perform online data quality checks on the data streams produced by nine telescopes, acquired by the Array Data Acquisition System and forwarded to the OOQS. In the current OOQS design, the Redis in-memory database manages the data throughput generated by the telescopes, and the Slurm workload scheduler executes in parallel the high number of data quality analyses.

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arXiv2021

UVscope and its application aboard the ASTRI-Horn telescope

UVscope is an instrument, based on a multi-pixel photon detector, developed to support experimental activities for high-energy astrophysics and cosmic ray research. The instrument, working in single photon counting mode, is designed to directly measure light flux in the wavelengths range 300-650~nm. The instrument can be used in a wide field of applications where the knowledge of the nocturnal environmental luminosity is required. Currently, one UVscope instrument is allocated onto the external structure of the ASTRI-Horn Cherenkov telescope devoted to the gamma-ray astronomy at very high energies. Being co-aligned with the ASTRI-Horn camera axis, UVscope can measure the diffuse emission of the night sky background simultaneously with the ASTRI-Horn camera, without any interference with the main telescope data taking procedures. UVscope is properly calibrated and it is used as an independent reference instrument for test and diagnostic of the novel ASTRI-Horn telescope.

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arXiv2020

First detection of the Crab Nebula at TeV energies with a Cherenkov telescope in a dual-mirror Schwarzschild-Couder configuration: the ASTRI-Horn telescope

We report on the first detection of very high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission from the Crab Nebula by a Cherenkov telescope in dual-mirror Schwarzschild-Couder (SC) configuration. The result has been achieved by means of the 4 m size ASTRI-Horn telescope, operated on Mt. Etna (Italy) and developed in the context of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory preparatory phase. The dual-mirror SC design is aplanatic and characterized by a small plate scale, allowing us to implement large field of view cameras with small-size pixel sensors and a high compactness. The curved focal plane of the ASTRI camera is covered by silicon photo-multipliers (SiPMs), managed by an unconventional front-end electronics based on a customized peak-sensing detector mode. The system includes internal and external calibration systems, hardware and software for control and acquisition, and the complete data archiving and processing chain. The observations of the Crab Nebula were carried out in December 2018, during the telescope verification phase, for a total observation time (after data selection) of 24.4 h, equally divided into on- and off-axis source exposure. The camera system was still under commissioning and its functionality was not yet completely exploited. Furthermore, due to recent eruptions of the Etna Volcano, the mirror reflection efficiency was reduced. Nevertheless, the observations led to the detection of the source with a statistical significance of 5.4 sigma above an energy threshold of ~3 TeV. This result provides an important step towards the use of dual-mirror systems in Cherenkov gamma-ray astronomy. A pathfinder mini-array based on nine large field-of-view ASTRI-like telescopes is under implementation.

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arXiv2019

Calibration and monitoring of the ASTRI-Horn telescope by using the night-sky background measured by the photon-statistics ("variance") method

ASTRI-Horn is the Cherenkov telescope developed by INAF and operating in Italy on the slopes of Etna volcano. Characterized by a dual-mirror optical system and a focal plane covered by silicon photomultiplier sensors, ASTRI-Horn is a prototype of the telescopes proposed to form one of the pathfinder sub-arrays of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory in Chile. The electronics of the ASTRI-Horn telescope, optimized to detect nanosecond burst of light, is not able to directly measure any continuous or slowly varying flux illuminating its camera. To measure the intensity of the night sky background (NSB) in the field of view of the telescope, the firmware of the ASTRI-Horn camera continuously performs the statistical analysis of its detector signals and periodically provides in output the "variance" of each pixel, which is linearly dependent on the rate of detected photons; in this way, an indirect, but accurate measurement of the NSB flux is obtained without interference with the normal telescope operation. In this contribution we provide an overview of several calibration and monitoring tasks that can be performed in a straightforward way by the analysis of the "variance" data such as the camera astrometry, the actual telescope orientation and the monitoring of its optical point spread function.

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arXiv2019

Muon calibration of the ASTRI-Horn telescope: preliminary results

Astri-Horn is a Small-Sized Telescope (SST) for very-high energy gamma-ray astronomy installed in Italy at the INAF "M.C. Fracastoro" observing station (Mt. Etna, Sicily). The ASTRI-Horn telescope is characterized by a dual-mirror optical system and a curved focal surface covered by SiPM sensors managed by a innovative fast front-end electronics. Dedicated studies were performed to verify the feasibility of the calibration through muons on the relatively small size of the primary mirror (~4 m diameter), as in the case of larger Cherenkov telescopes. A number of tests were performed using simulations of the atmospheric showers with the CORSIKA package and of the telescope response with a dedicated simulator. In this contribution we present a preliminary analysis of muon events detected by ASTRI-Horn during the regular scientific data taking performed in December 2018 and March 2019. These muon events validate the results obtained with the simulations and definitively confirm the feasibility of calibrating the ASTRI-Horn SST telescope with muons.

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arXiv2017

ASTRI SST-2M prototype and mini-array simulation chain, data reduction software, and archive in the framework of the Cherenkov Telescope Array

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is a worldwide project aimed at building the next-generation ground-based gamma-ray observatory. Within the CTA project, the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF) is developing an end-to-end prototype of the CTA Small-Size Telescopes with a dual-mirror (SST-2M) Schwarzschild-Couder configuration. The prototype, named ASTRI SST-2M, is located at the INAF "M.C. Fracastoro" observing station in Serra La Nave (Mt. Etna, Sicily) and is currently in the scientific and performance validation phase. A mini-array of (at least) nine ASTRI telescopes has been then proposed to be deployed at the Southern CTA site, by means of a collaborative effort carried out by institutes from Italy, Brazil, and South-Africa. The CTA/ASTRI team is developing an end-to-end software package for the reduction of the raw data acquired with both ASTRI SST-2M prototype and mini-array, with the aim of actively contributing to the global ongoing activities for the official data handling system of the CTA observatory. The group is also undertaking a massive Monte Carlo simulation data production using the detector Monte Carlo software adopted by the CTA consortium. Simulated data are being used to validate the simulation chain and evaluate the ASTRI SST-2M prototype and mini-array performance. Both activities are also carried out in the framework of the European H2020-ASTERICS (Astronomy ESFRI and Research Infrastructure Cluster) project. A data archiving system, for both ASTRI SST-2M prototype and mini-array, has been also developed by the CTA/ASTRI team, as a testbed for the scientific archive of CTA. In this contribution, we present the main components of the ASTRI data handling systems and report the status of their development.

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arXiv2015

Strategy Implementation for the CTA Atmospheric Monitoring Program

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the next generation facility of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes. It will reach unprecedented sensitivity and energy resolution in very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy. CTA will detect Cherenkov light emitted within an atmospheric shower of particles initiated by cosmic-gamma rays or cosmic rays entering the Earth's atmosphere. From the combination of images the Cherenkov light produces in the telescopes, one is able to infer the primary particle energy and direction. A correct energy estimation can be thus performed only if the local atmosphere is well characterized. The atmosphere not only affects the shower development itself, but also the Cherenkov photon transmission from the emission point in the particle shower, at about 10-20 km above the ground, to the detector. Cherenkov light on the ground is peaked in the UV-blue region, and therefore molecular and aerosol extinction phenomena are important. The goal of CTA is to control systematics in energy reconstruction to better than 10%. For this reason, a careful and continuous monitoring and characterization of the atmosphere is required. In addition, CTA will be operated as an observatory, with data made public along with appropriate analysis tools. High-level data quality can only be ensured if the atmospheric properties are consistently and continuously taken into account. In this contribution, we concentrate on discussing the implementation strategy for the various atmospheric monitoring instruments currently under discussion in CTA. These includes Raman lidars and ceilometers, stellar photometers and others available both from commercial providers and public research centres.

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arXiv2014

The INAF ASTRI Project in the framework of CTA

The ASTRI project aims to develop, in the framework of the Cherenkov Telescope Array, an end-to-end prototype of the small-size telescope, devoted to the investigation of the energy range ~ 1-100 TeV. The proposed design is characterized by two challenging but innovative technological solutions which will be adopted for the first time on a Cherenkov telescope: a dual-mirror Schwarzschild-Couder configuration and a modular, light and compact camera based on Silicon photo-multipliers. Here we describe the prototype design, the expected performance and the possibility to realize a mini array composed by a few such telescopes, which shall be placed at the final CTA Southern Site.

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arXiv2014

AtmoHEAD 2013 workshop / Atmospheric Monitoring for High-Energy Astroparticle Detectors

A 3-day international workshop on atmospheric monitoring and calibration for high-energy astroparticle detectors, with a view towards next-generation facilities. The atmosphere is an integral component of many high-energy astroparticle detectors. Imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes and cosmic-ray extensive air shower detectors are the two instruments driving the rapidly evolving fields of very-high- and ultra-high-energy astrophysics. In these instruments, the atmosphere is used as a giant calorimeter where cosmic rays and gamma rays deposit their energy and initiate EASs; it is also the medium through which the resulting Cherenkov light propagates. Uncertainties in real-time atmospheric conditions and in the fixed atmospheric models typically dominate all other systematic errors. With the improved sensitivity of upgraded IACTs such as H.E.S.S.-II and MAGIC-II and future facilities like the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) and JEM-EUSO, statistical uncertainties are expected to be significantly reduced, leaving the atmosphere as the limiting factor in the determination of astroparticle spectra. Varying weather conditions necessitate the development of suitable atmospheric monitoring to be integrated in the overall instrument calibration, including Monte Carlo simulations. With expertise distributed across multiple collaborations and scientific domains, an interdisciplinary workshop is being convened to advance progress on this critical and timely topic.

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arXiv2014

The Site of the ASTRI SST-2M Telescope Prototype: Atmospheric Monitoring and Auxiliary Instrumentation

ASTRI is a Flagship Project led by the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics, INAF. The main objective of the ASTRI project is to develop a prototype of the Small Size class Telescope for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) in a dual-mirror configuration (SST-2M). The ASTRI SST-2M is an end-to-end prototype that will be fully developed by the ASTRI Collaboration from the optics design and manufacturing to the focal plane camera, from the structure of the mount to all the needed software. The ASTRI SST-2M prototype will be placed at the INAF "M.G. Fracastoro" observing station in Serra La Nave on the Etna Mountain near Catania, Italy. The technological solutions adopted will be tested on field: observations of the Crab Nebula and of other sources will be essential part of the science verification phase, with the aim to assess the achievement of the scientific requirements. In the following we present the Serra La Nave site together with all the auxiliary instruments needed for atmospheric monitoring and characterization, calibration and science verification of the ASTRI SST-2M prototype.

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arXiv2013

The ASTRI Mini-Array Software System

ASTRI ("Astrofisica con Specchi a Tecnologia Replicante Italiana") is a Flagship Project financed by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research, and led by INAF, the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics. Main goals of the ASTRI project are the realization of an end-to-end prototype of a Small Size Telescope (SST) for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) in a dual-mirror configuration (SST-2M) and, subsequently, of a mini-array composed of a few SST-2M telescopes to be placed at the final CTA Southern Site. Here we present the main features of the Mini-Array Software System (MASS) that has a central role in the success of the ASTRI Project and will also serve as a prototype for the CTA software system. The MASS will provide a set of tools to prepare an observing proposal, to perform the observations specified therein (monitoring and controlling all the hardware components of each telescope), to analyze the acquired data online and to store/retrieve all the data products to/from the archive.}

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arXiv2013

The ASTRI Mini-Array Science Case

ASTRI is a Flagship Project financed by the Italian Ministry of Education, University and Research, and led by INAF, the Italian National Institute of Astrophysics. Within this framework, INAF is currently developing an end-to-end prototype of a Small Size Telescope in a dual-mirror configuration (SST-2M) for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), scheduled to start data acquisition in 2014. Although the ASTRI SST-2M prototype is mainly a technological demonstrator, it will perform scientific observations of the Crab Nebula, Mrk 421 and Mrk 501 at E>1 TeV. A remarkable improvement in terms of performance could come from the operation, in 2016, of a SST-2M mini-array, composed of a few SST-2M telescopes to be placed at final CTA Southern Site. The SST mini-array will be able to study in great detail relatively bright sources (a few x 10E-12 erg/cm2/s at 10 TeV) with angular resolution of a few arcmin and energy resolution of about 10-15%. Thanks to the stereo approach, it will be possible to verify the wide field of view (FoV) performance through the detections of very high-energy showers with core located at a distance up to 500 m, to compare the mini-array performance with the Monte Carlo expectations by means of deep observations of selected targets, and to perform the first CTA science at the beginning of the mini-array operations. Prominent sources such as extreme blazars, nearby well-known BL Lac objects and radio-galaxies, galactic pulsar wind nebulae, supernovae remnants, micro-quasars, and the Galactic Center can be observed in a previously unexplored energy range, in order to investigate the electron acceleration and cooling, relativistic and non relativistic shocks, the search for cosmic-ray (CR) Pevatrons, the study of the CR propagation, and the impact of the extragalactic background light on the spectra of the sources.

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arXiv2013

The dual-mirror Small Size Telescope for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

In this paper, the development of the dual mirror Small Size Telescopes (SST) for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is reviewed. Up to 70 SST, with a primary mirror diameter of 4 m, will be produced and installed at the CTA southern site. These will allow investigation of the gamma-ray sky at the highest energies accessible to CTA, in the range from about 1 TeV to 300 TeV. The telescope presented in this contribution is characterized by two major innovations: the use of a dual mirror Schwarzschild-Couder configuration and of an innovative camera using as sensors either multi-anode photomultipliers (MAPM) or silicon photomultipliers (SiPM). The reduced plate-scale of the telescope, achieved with the dual-mirror optics, allows the camera to be compact (40 cm in diameter), and low-cost. The camera, which has about 2000 pixels of size 6x6 mm^2, covers a field of view of 10°. The dual mirror telescopes and their cameras are being developed by three consortia, ASTRI (Astrofisica con Specchi a Tecnologia Replicante Italiana, Italy/INAF), GATE (Gamma-ray Telescope Elements, France/Paris Observ.) and CHEC (Compact High Energy Camera, universities in UK, US and Japan) which are merging their efforts in order to finalize an end-to-end design that will be constructed for CTA. A number of prototype structures and cameras are being developed in order to investigate various alternative designs. In this contribution, these designs are presented, along with the technological solutions under study.

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