Introduction and Overview

- The Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) telescope was recently inaugurated in Hanle, Ladakh.

- This telescope signifies a significant stride forward in gamma-ray astronomy.

- With the MACE, scientists can study gamma rays of energies above 20 billion electron volts (eV), emitted from cosmic entities like pulsars, blazars, and gamma-ray bursts.

 

Insight into MACE

- Located at approximately 4.3km altitude, the MACE is the highest imaging Cherenkov telescope globally and the largest in Asia.

- It uses an Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) for indirect detection of high energy gamma rays.

- When high-energy gamma rays enter the earth's atmosphere, they produce electron-positron pairs, resulting in Cherenkov Radiation, which the MACE captures.

- The telescope's light collector, which consists of 356 mirror panels arranged in a honeycomb structure, enhances stability and reflection area.

 

Research Objectives

- The primary aim of MACE is to investigate high-energy gamma rays from astronomical sources.

- The telescope aims to understand dark matter by detecting gamma rays from weakly interacting massive particles (WIMP) annihilation events and exploring WIMPs, potentially constituting a large portion of the universe's mass.

 

Contributing Institutions

- The Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) and the Indian Institute of Astrophysics contributed towards the establishment and operation of MACE.

 

Technological Innovations

- MACE features a high-resolution camera equipped with 1,088 photomultiplier tubes to detect and amplify faint signals from Cherenkov radiation.

- Its high-altitude placement ensures a clear view above atmospheric disturbances, which enhances observational capabilities.

 

Gamma Rays and Related Health Hazards

- Gamma rays, as high-energy electromagnetic radiation, can penetrate the majority of materials, including human tissue, hence posing potential health hazards.

- Generated by exotic energetic celestial objects and radioactive decay or nuclear reactions, they can damage cells and DNA, resulting in radiation sickness and increased cancer risk.

 

Other Similar Telescope Projects

- Several other significant telescope projects include the Indian Astronomical Observatory (IAO), Dark Sky Reserve, and High Altitude Gamma Ray (HAGAR).

- The IAO, situated in Hanle, is one of the world's most elevated astronomical observatories and is equipped with multiple telescopes, including the Himalayan Chandra Telescope.

- Dark Sky Reserve is an allocated region with regulations maintaining minimum artificial light interference.

- HAGAR in Hanle, Ladakh, is the first high-altitude gamma-ray telescope array utilizing the atmospheric Cherenkov technique with a low-energy threshold and minimum mirror area.