The Large-Sized Telescope (LST) Collaboration consists of more than 400 scientists and engineers from eleven countries: Brazil, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Poland, Spain and Switzerland. Because gamma rays with low energies produce a small amount of Cherenkov light, telescopes with large collection areas (mirrors) are required to capture the images. Four LSTs will be arranged at the centre of the northern hemisphere array to cover the unique low energy sensitivity of the CTAO between 20 and 150 GeV. The LSTs will also have a very good sensitivity up to energies of several TeV, which is, however, covered by Medium-Sized Telescopes (MSTs) more efficiently.
The LST is an alt-azimuth telescope. It has a 23 m diameter parabolic reflective surface, which is supported by a tubular structure made of reinforced carbon fibre and steel tubes. A reflective surface of 400 m2 collects and focuses the Cherenkov light into the camera, where photomultiplier tubes convert the light in electrical signals that can be processed by dedicated electronics. Although the LST will stand 45 m tall and weigh around 100 tonnes, it will be extremely nimble, with the ability to re-position between any two points in the sky within 20 seconds.
- LST Specifications
- LST Prototype Inauguration (credit: Akira Okumura)
An illustrative schematic of the telescope with the main assemblies: