Gamma Rays from Astrophysical Sources

CONDOR will survey the entire Southern Sky continuously over the energy range 100 GeV-TeV, which cannot be measured well with satellite telescopes.

CONDOR will be well suited to contribute to multi-messenger astronomy studies, and searches for transient phenomena.

Figure from http://tevcat.uchicago.edu/

Gamma-ray bursts (GRB) are massive explosions that occur in distant galaxies—they can release more energy in one second than the Sun will emit in its lifetime.

In 2019, two ground telescopes (MAGIC and HESS) obtained first measurements of GRBs in the energy range above 100 GeV.

This sets the stage for a new telescope that can operate 24/7 with a wide field of view, large area, and with sensitivity down to 100 GeV—CONDOR will answer this call.

Astronomy is now also being revolutionized by observations with new messengers—gravitational waves, neutrinos, gamma rays, and cosmic rays

Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2021.

Gamma rays reveal processes that longer-wavelength photons cannot—and will greatly enhance the returns of neutrino and gravitational-wave observatories.

Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2021.

"The findings from MAGIC and HESS have scientists even more excited for the next generation of gamma ray telescopes"

Smithsonian Magazine

"As history has repeatedly shown, the opening of a new spectral window in GRB research always reveals many treasures for researchers to mine. This spectral window at the highest energies will not be any different, and could be even more rewarding"

Nature

"We anticipate increasing importance of synoptic surveys to perform measurements of challenging extended sources that cannot be probed by both, satellites due to limited sensitivity, and, Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescope due to their limited field-of-view"

Nisa et al. "The Sun at GeV-TeV Energies: A New Laboratory for Astroparticle Physics"

Without GeV–TeV–PeV gamma ray and neutrino data, it will be challenging to tell if these short GRBs accelerate cosmic rays.

Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2021.

"Now we know that it is possible to observe GRBs from the ground, to high energies, long after the burst occurred. This will allow us to tune our search strategies to discover more bursts, and to study them as a population".

Jamie Holder in Smithsonian Magazine

"The key to lower the energy threshold is to locate a detector at very high altitude"

G. Di Sciascio, arXiv:1904.02085v1

“The general abundance of gamma-ray bursts leads us to expect that regular detections in the very-high energy band will become rather common, helping us to fully understand their physics"

H.E.S.S. spokesperson Dr. Stefan Wagner

A combined program of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) and particle detector observatories will create a powerful synergistic capability.

Pathways to Discovery in Astronomy and Astrophysics for the 2020s.
National Academies of Sciences, Engineering, and Medicine 2021.

CONDOR Observatory

Gamma Rays from Astrophysical Sources

CONDOR will survey the entire Southern Sky continuously over the energy range 100 GeV-TeV, which cannot be measured well with satellite telescopes.

CONDOR will be well suited to contribute to multi-messenger astronomy studies, and searches for transient phenomena.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRB) are massive explosions that occur in distant galaxies—they can release more energy in one second than the Sun will emit in its lifetime.

In 2019, two ground telescopes (MAGIC and HESS) obtained first measurements of GRBs in the energy range above 100 GeV.

This sets the stage for a new telescope that can operate 24/7 with a wide field of view, large area, and with sensitivity down to 100 GeV—CONDOR will answer this call.

Physics and Astronomy

COLLEGE OF NATURAL &
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

Gamma Rays from Astrophysical Sources

CONDOR will survey the entire Southern Sky continuously over the energy range 100 GeV-TeV, which cannot be measured well with satellite telescopes.

CONDOR will be well suited to contribute to multi-messenger astronomy studies, and searches for transient phenomena.

Gamma-ray bursts (GRB) are massive explosions that occur in distant galaxies—they can release more energy in one second than the Sun will emit in its lifetime.

In 2019, two ground telescopes (MAGIC and HESS) obtained first measurements of GRBs in the energy range above 100 GeV.

This sets the stage for a new telescope that can operate 24/7 with a wide field of view, large area, and with sensitivity down to 100 GeV—CONDOR will answer this call.

COLLEGE OF NATURAL & AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES

COLLEGE OF NATURAL &
AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES