Speaker
Description
This work presents the design, development, and calibration of the engineering Cherenkov camera developed for the nine innovative dual-mirror imaging atmospheric telescopes of the ASTRI Mini-Array. This international project, led by the Italian National Institute for Astrophysics (INAF), is dedicated to ground-based gamma-ray astronomy. Located at the Observatorio del Teide in Tenerife, Spain, the ASTRI Mini-Array will perform high-sensitivity and high-angular-resolution observations of the gamma-ray universe in the 1–200 TeV energy band. The cameras adopted in the ASTRI Mini-Array represent the final evolution of the prototype system tested at the ASTRI-Horn telescope pathfinder since 2016, on the slopes of Mount Etna in Sicily, Italy. This prototype provided valuable experience in gamma-ray observations using the atmospheric Cherenkov technique with dual-mirror optics and cameras based on multipixel Silicon Photo Multiplier (SiPM) photodetectors. The new ASTRI cameras incorporate SiPM-based technology, employing fast-acquisition peak detectors with low power consumption thanks to the custom ASIC Citiroc, developed jointly by INAF and the French company WEEROC. Since the initial design phases, the camera has adopted advanced and elegant engineering solutions that enhance its performance and effectiveness. Embedded within the structure, the thermal control system (which requires no external cooling liquids) and calibration subsystems of the focal plane ensure operational efficiency, reliability, and ease of installation—critical factors for maintaining a fully functional array with multiple telescopes. The first Cherenkov camera was installed on the ASTRI 1 telescope in late August 2024, and the installation of the other cameras is currently ongoing. The results regarding the performance of the cameras will be presented and discussed.
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