Observer Access to the Cherenkov Telescope Array

TL;DR

This paper discusses the design of the Cherenkov Telescope Array's observer access system, enabling open community participation in VHE gamma-ray astronomy through data, software, and proposal submission tools.

Contribution

It introduces a comprehensive observer access system for CTA, facilitating scientific user support, data dissemination, and proposal management in gamma-ray astronomy.

Findings

Design of the CTA observer access system completed

Support tools for scientific analysis developed

Workflow and development status outlined

Abstract

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA), a ground-based facility for very-high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray astronomy, will operate as an open observatory, serving a wide scientific community to explore and to study the non-thermal universe. Open community access is a novelty in this domain, putting a challenge on the implementation of services that make VHE gamma-ray astronomy as accessible as any other waveband. We present here the design of the CTA Observer Access system that comprises support of scientific users, dissemination of data and software, tools for scientific analysis, and the system to submit observing proposals. We outline the scientific user workflows and provide the status of the current developments.