MACE TELESCOPE: SCIENE & TECHNOLOGY

MACE TELESCOPE: SCIENE & TECHNOLOGY

NEWS: MACE in Ladakh opens its one-of-a-kind eye to cosmic gamma rays

WHAT’S  IN THE NEWS?

The Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) telescope has been inaugurated in Hanle, Ladakh.It is now the highest imaging Cherenkov telescope in the world, designed to explore high-energy gamma rays, dark matter, and other cosmic phenomena.

MACE Telescope

1.      Strategic Location:

  • Positioned in Hanle, Ladakh, at an altitude of ~3 km above sea level.
  • The high altitude minimizes atmospheric disturbances, enabling clearer data collection.

2.      Unique Features:

  • Dish Dimensions: 21-meter-wide, the largest in Asia and second-largest globally.
  • Mirror Panels: Comprises 356 mirror panels, each with smaller honeycomb-like segments, ensuring:
  • Maximum reflective area.
  • Reduced weight.

3.      Collaboration and Development:

  • Joint effort by BARC, TIFR, Electronics Corporation of India Ltd., and Indian Institute of Astrophysics.
  • Demonstrates India’s advanced capabilities in high-energy astrophysics.

4.      Technological Aspects:

·         High-Resolution Camera: Equipped with 1,088 photomultiplier tubes (PMTs) to amplify faint Cherenkov radiation signals.

 

·         Mobility: Mounted on a 27-meter-wide curved track for vertical and horizontal movement, enabling extensive sky monitoring.

·         Open-Air Design:

      • Operates without a protective dome.
      • Mirrors coated with silicon dioxide to shield against environmental wear.

5.      Capabilities and Objectives:

  • Detects gamma rays with energies above 20 billion eV (electron volts).
  • Focuses on emissions from:

§  Black holes, pulsars, blazars, and other cosmic phenomena.

·         Aims to uncover the mysteries of dark matter, specifically searching for WIMPs (Weakly Interacting Massive Particles).

§  Hypothesized to emit high-energy gamma rays during collisions

Gamma Rays

1.      Characteristics:

·         A form of high-energy electromagnetic radiation.

·         Possess the shortest wavelength and highest energy in the electromagnetic spectrum.

·         Energies typically exceed 100,000 eV.

2.      Origins:

·         Emitted by extreme cosmic events such as:

      • Pulsars
      • Supernovae
      • Black holes
      • Gamma-ray bursts

3.      Detection Challenges:

·         Earth's atmosphere blocks gamma rays, requiring indirect ground-based detection methods.

4.      Detection by Cherenkov Telescopes:

·         When gamma rays hit the atmosphere, they generate a particle cascade.

·         These particles emit faint Cherenkov radiation, which telescopes like MACE detect.

Cherenkov Radiation

1.      Nature of Radiation:

·         Produced when a charged particle travels faster than the speed of light in a medium (e.g., air or water).

·         Appears as a faint blue glow in visible and ultraviolet wavelengths.

 

2.      Similar to Sonic Boom:

·         Creates an electromagnetic shockwave, analogous to the sonic boom produced by supersonic aircraft.

3.      Applications:

·         Commonly seen in nuclear reactors.

·         Used in atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes for studying cosmic gamma rays.

Significance of MACE Telescope

1.      Scientific Advancements:

    • Enhances India’s position in global astrophysics research.
    • Contributes to the study of:
      • High-energy gamma rays
      • Cosmic particle interactions
      • Potential evidence for dark matter.

2.      Technological Innovation:

    • Largest such facility in Asia, showcasing India’s engineering and research capabilities.

3.      Boost to Astronomy in India:

·         Places Hanle and India prominently on the global map of gamma-ray astronomy.