The Medium Size Telescopes of the Cherenkov Telescope Array

TL;DR

This paper discusses the design and deployment of 12-meter Medium Size Telescopes (MST) for the Cherenkov Telescope Array, detailing their specifications, configurations, and the camera options used for gamma-ray astronomy.

Contribution

It presents the design, configuration, and current status of the MSTs for CTA, including camera options and their role in the array's sensitivity.

Findings

MSTs will have a 12-meter diameter with a single mirror design.

Two camera options, FlashCam and NectarCAM, are available for MSTs.

The array will include 25 MSTs in the South and 15 in the North.

Abstract

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the planned next-generation instrument for ground-based gamma-ray astronomy, covering a photon energy range of ~20 GeV to above 100 TeV. CTA will consist of the order of 100 telescopes of three sizes, installed at two sites in the Northern and Southern Hemisphere. This contribution deals with the 12 meter Medium Size Telescopes (MST) having a single mirror (modified Davies-Cotton, DC) design. In the baseline design of the CTA arrays, 25 MSTs in the South and 15 MSTs in the North provide the necessary sensitivity for CTA in the core energy range of 100 GeV to 10 TeV. DC-MSTs will be equipped with photomultiplier (PMT)-based cameras. Two options are available for these focal plane instruments, that will be provided by the FlashCam and the NectarCAM sub-consortia. In this contribution, a short introduction to the projects and their status is given.