Last week, the VHEGA group received the visit of Dr. Vilppu Piirola from the University of Turku (Finland). Dr. Piirola is an expert on optical polarimetry, former director of the DIPOL programme at his institution, as well as former director of the NOT telescope. As such, he is the father of several models of DIPOL polarimeters currently installed in many observatories around the globe.

The purpose of Dr. Piirola’s visit was to install and test a new DIPOL-1 polarimeter on the T90 telescope at the OSN that would be able to improve the performance of previous polarimetric observations performed with this telescope. The VHEGA group members Iván Agudo and Jorge Otero, along with the OSN crew and the engineers from the IAA, assisted Dr. Piirola in this task, successfully providing a new instrument to the whole institute. The first tests and calibrations estimate a performance improved up to a factor 10 in comparison with previous polarimetric observations with the T90!

Observations from this new instrument are starting to come, and we are sure that they will provide amazing scientific results in the near future!

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The 56th shift period for the Large-Sized Telescope (LST) has come to an end. This shift period featured VHEGA member Juan Escudero Pedrosa as the Shift Leader. 

The LST is one of the two types of telescopes that will constitute CTAO-North, the northern site of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory. As the first open ground-based gamma-ray observatory, CTAO is anticipated to be between five and ten times more sensitive than the current generation of telescopes. The LST-1, the LST prototype, is already built and producing its first scientific results.

As part of our involvement in the LST collaboration, the VHEGA group participates in the commissioning of the LST. During this process, we improve the telescope’s performance, ensuring that the LST satisfies all requirements established by CTAO. One of the many responsibilities includes participating in three-week-long observational campaigns at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory. The observatory is located approximately 2400m above sea level on the Spanish island of La Palma.

In addition to contributing to the telescope’s development, the shifts also present an opportunity to meet and interact with colleagues from this international collaboration.

You can find more information about the LST and CTAO in these links:

• www.lst1.iac.es/
• www.cta-observatory.org/

Last week, the VHEGA members Rubén López-Coto and Daniel Morcuende attended the International Cosmic Rays Conference 2023 (ICRC 2023), one of the most important conferences in astroparticle physics and gamma-ray astrophysics with about 1500 participants. The ICRC, which is held biannually, was hosted this year in Nagoya, one of Japan's largest cities.

On the one hand, Daniel presented the performance study of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory's first Large-Sized Telescope (LST-1) based on the article recently accepted for publication in the Astrophysical Journal. Rubén, on the other hand, was appointed as the rapporteur of the gamma-ray astrophysics sessions, with the important task of gathering and summarizing the new key results presented during the conference.

They met colleagues from MAGIC, CTAO, and other collaborations—people with whom they frequently collaborate but do not often meet in person. Aside from learning about the most recent scientific advances in high-energy astrophysics, they also enjoyed the Japanese culture and cuisine.

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We look forward to more conferences!