MRI Consortium: Development of a Wide Field-of-View Camera for the Schwarzschild-Couder Gamma Ray Telescope

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Observations of very-high energy gamma-ray light offer a window on some of the most energetic environments in the Universe, where gamma-rays are produced as particles are accelerated under extreme conditions produced by strong gravitational or magnetic fields. This award will support the construction of a wide-field camera for a ground-based gamma-ray telescope with a novel optical design that is located on the site of the VERITAS gamma-ray observatory in Arizona. This new technology will dramatically improve the optical performance of ground-based Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes for gamma-ray astrophysics. Next generation scientific studies will be enabled through this award, including multi-wavelength observations, and rapid follow up of transient sources. The camera and telescope will also serve as a prototype for the Cherenkov Telescope Array, a new gamma-ray observatory under development by an international consortium. The award will provide the opportunity for integrated research and education for a large number of undergraduate students. Data from the camera will be used in citizen science projects hosted on the Zooniverse platform.The wide-field camera, featuring 11,328 channels of imaging and readout electronics, will be installed on a prototype Schwarzschild Couder telescope that is currently nearing completion in Arizona. It will provide coverage of an 8-degree field of view, allowing rapid observations of the sky around transient and multi-messenger alerts, and fully exploiting the optical performance of the Schwarzschild-Couder design. The telescope will be operated in concert with the existing VERITAS array, providing cross-calibration and enhancing the scientific capabilities of both instruments.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.