MAGIC

Collaboration:

- Italy: Padova University and INFN, Siena University and INFN
- Armenia: Yerevan Physics Institute, Cosmic Ray Division, Yerevan; Laserayin Tekhnika, Yerevan
- Germany: Max-Planck-Institut für Physik, München; Space Research Unit, Potchefstroom University; Detektorphysik und Elektronik, Fachbereich Physik, Universität-GH Siegen,; Universitäts-Sternwarte, Göttingen; Universität Würzburg
- Poland: Division of Experimental Physics, University of Lodz
- Spain: Institut de Física d'Altes Energies, Barcelona; Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona; Universidad Complutense, Madrid
- Russia: Institute for Nuclear Research, Russian Academy of Science, Moscow
- Ucraina: Crimean Astrophysical Observatory
- USA: University of California, Davis

Laboratory: IAC- Instituto de Astrofísica de Canarias, ORM Observatorio Roque de los Muchachos, La Palma, Spain

National Responsible: L.Peruzzo (Pd)

1. Goal of the experiment

The MAGIC (Major Atmospheric Gamma-ray Imaging Cerenkov telescope) is one of the new generation imaging Cerenkov telescopes which will be operative at low energy threshold in the next future.

Magic will be the first to be operative among the other next generation experiments.

The aim is to lower the energy threshold by at least one order of magnitude with respect to the present ground-based telescopes. This together with the increased upper energy threshold of satellites (Agile, Glast) will close the observative gap between 1-10 GeV and 300 GeV presently existing.

More on the experiment...

2.

Activities during 2001

The apparatus is under construction. Achievements were obtained in technological fields like the production of metallic mirrors, the 1st and 2nd level trigger and the alert system for the detection of Gamma Ray Bursts..

The planned milestones for the year 2001 have been fulfilled:

- Trgger integration in the electronic chain

- 70% of the mirror production completed

Milestones 2002

Production of the remaining 300 mirrors | 31-08-2002
50% of the reflecting surface installed and aligned on the telescope | 31-08-2002

3. INFN contribution to the experiment in terms of manpower and financial support

- Manpower: Manpower: 8 researches (5.1 FTE), 1 engineer (0.2 FTE) and technical support by mechanic and electronic workshop of Sezione di Padova and LNL.

- Budget for the Year 2002: 176.5 kEuro

4. Publications in refereed journals (Year 2001): 2

5. Conferences talks (Year 2001): 5

6. Number of undergraduate and doctoral theses on the experiment (Year 2001):

- 1 laurea thesis in progress
- 2 laurea thesis completed

7. Leadership roles and primary responsibilities in the experiment

- Responsibility of the construction of the reflecting surface (L.Peruzzo).
- Responsibility of the 1st and 2nd level trigger (M.Mariotti).
- Responsibility of the GRB alarm system (D.Bastieri)

8. Innovative instruments

- Innovative production of the raw blanks for the individual all metal mirrors which form the parabolic 17 m surface.
- Fast n-fold (n=3,4,5) next-neighbour logic trigger 1st level (2 ns pattern recognition).
- Topological 2nd level trigger (200 ns pattern recognition).
- GRB alarm system (agreement with NASA).

9. Competing experiments

- HESS. To be installed in southern hemisphere. Smaller mirrors but with stereoscopic system. One of the 4 telescopes installed.
- VERITAS. TTo be installed in USA . Similar technique with higher threshold and sensitivity but better energy resolution. Construction not yet started.
- CANGAROO III. To be installed in Australia. Smaller mirrors but with stereoscopic system.

10. International Committee which has reviewed the experiment
The MAGIC telescope experiment has been reviewed and approved by the MPI association (Muenchen) , by BMBF and by IFAE (Barcelona)