Study Topics

Venturing beyond the high-energy frontier

Further Reading

"Science with the Cherenkov Telescope Array" (October 2017)

Download from arXiv

Next Generation Gamma-Ray Astronomy

Ground-based gamma-ray astronomy is a young field with enormous scientific potential. The current generation instruments H.E.S.S., MAGIC and VERITAS have already demonstrated the huge physical potential of astrophysical measurements at teralectronvolt (TeV) energies. The 150+ sources detected by these instruments, and the wide range of high impact scientific results, suggest that particle acceleration is common in nature, and that the known objects are just the tip of the iceberg.

 

With its superior performance, the prospects for CTA combine guaranteed science – the in-depth understanding of known objects and mechanisms – with anticipated detection of new classes of gamma-ray emitters and new phenomena, and a very significant potential for fundamentally new discoveries.

 

Study Themes

CTA will seek to address questions in and beyond astrophysics. These questions fall under three major themes of study:

 

  • Theme 1: Understanding the Origin and Role of Relativistic Cosmic Particles
  • Theme 2: Probing Extreme Environments
  • Theme 3: Exploring Frontiers in Physics

 

Learn more about the themes and questions.

>>Learn about our first CTA Science Symposium in May 2019 on the event website.<<

Top Background Image: Carina Nebula, NASA/ESA/ N. Smith (University of California, Berkeley), and The Hubble Heritage Team (STScI/AURA)

Study Themes

Key Targets