Source: TH
Context: The MACE telescope, the world’s highest imaging Cherenkov telescope, was inaugurated in Hanle, Ladakh, on October 4 to study cosmic gamma rays and advance high-energy astrophysics research.
About Gamma Rays:
- Definition: Gamma rays are the shortest wavelength and highest energy form of electromagnetic radiation.
- Sources: Produced by pulsars, supernovae, black holes, gamma-ray bursts, and potential dark matter particle interactions.
- Properties: Energy > 100,000 eV, hazardous to living cells, and blocked by Earth’s atmosphere.
- Detection: Indirectly observed on Earth using Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) like MACE.
- Cherenkov Radiation: Faint blue light emitted when gamma rays interact with atmospheric molecules, creating electron-positron showers.
About the MACE project:
- Location: Hanle, Ladakh, at an altitude of ~4,300 m, making it the highest imaging Cherenkov telescope in the world.
- Development: Indigenously built by Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) with support from ECIL and other Indian partners.
- Objective: To study high-energy gamma rays and contribute to the understanding of the universe’s most energetic phenomena, such as supernovae, black holes, and gamma-ray bursts.
- Technology: Uses Cherenkov imaging technology to detect cosmic rays and observe high-energy astrophysical events.
- Significance: Enhances India’s cosmic-ray research capabilities and strengthens its position in multi-messenger astronomy on a global scale.
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