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Firmato il contratto per la costruzione delle strade e delle fondamenta dei telescopi per CTAO-sud

03 Luglio 2025

Questa settimana è stato firmato un importante contratto, del valore di diversi milioni di euro, tra l'ESO e un consorzio di aziende cilene per la costruzione delle fondamenta per la schiera di telescopi nell'emisfero meridionale (CTAO-sud) del Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO) presso l'Osservatorio dell'ESO al Paranal, in Cile. Il contratto include oltre 50 fondamenta per i telescopi del CTAO-sud, nonché circa 17 km di strade che le collegano alle infrastrutture di supporto. L'ESO, membro fondatore del Consorzio Europeo per le Infrastrutture di Ricerca CTAO (CTAO ERIC), che ospiterà la schiera meridionale di telescopi, ha firmato il contratto per conto del CTAO ERIC. La costruzione di questa importante infrastruttura civile dovrebbe durare un anno, aprendo la strada all'installazione dei primi telescopi in loco. È un pietra miliare che segna l'inizio della costruzione della schiera nell'emisfero australe.

Il CTAO sarà il più grande e potente osservatorio da terra per l'astronomia dei raggi gamma. È composto da due schiere di telescopi: CTAO-sud, appunto, e CTAO-nord a La Palma, in Spagna. Una dall'emisfero australe e l'altra da quello boreale monitoreranno attentamente una forma elusiva di radiazione chiamata radiazione Cherenkov. Quando i raggi gamma dal cosmo raggiungono l'atmosfera terrestre e interagiscono con essa, generano una cascata di particelle ultra-energetiche; muovendosi nell'aria, queste particelle creano un debole lampo blu di "luce Cherenkov". Analizzando questa debole luce, gli astronomi possono dedurre molte informazioni sulle sorgenti cosmiche, come buchi neri supermassicci e resti di supernova, che hanno emesso i raggi gamma in origine.

Per catturare la radiazione Cherenkov, il sito CTAO-sud sarà composto da 51 telescopi di diverse dimensioni per rivelare eventi sia brillanti che deboli. Il sito coprirà un'area di circa 3 chilometri quadrati e si trova a circa 10 chilometri da Cerro Paranal, sede del Very Large Telescope dell'ESO. Una volta costruito, il CTAO renderà disponibili pubblicamente dati e software di analisi, consentendo la condivisione all'intera comunità scientifica, rafforzando la collaborazione a livello mondiale e contribuendo a rispondere a domande sia in ambito astronomico che in fisica delle particelle, come la caccia alla materia oscura, la meccanica delle supernovae e cosa accade quando le stelle di neutroni dense si scontrano.

Il CTAO sarà il primo osservatorio del suo genere, in grado di osservare l'Universo ad alta energia con una sensibilità senza pari. La sua posizione vicino a Cerro Paranal, lontano da fonti di inquinamento luminoso e sotto uno dei cieli notturni più bui e incontaminati del mondo, è fondamentale per rilevare la debolissima luce blu della radiazione Cherenkov.

Ulteriori informazioni

Nel gennaio 2025, la Commissione Europea ha istituito il CTAO come Consorzio Europeo per le Infrastrutture di Ricerca (ERIC). I membri fondatori del CTAO ERIC sono l'Austria, l'ESO (Osservatorio Europeo Australe), la Francia, la Germania, l'Italia, la Polonia, la Repubblica Ceca, la Slovenia e la Spagna. Inoltre, il Giappone è un partner strategico e l'adesione di Svizzera e Croazia come membri fondatori è in fase di elaborazione.

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Riguardo all'annuncio

Identificazione:ann25005

Immagini

Representatives from ESO and Chilean companies sign CTAO-South contract
Representatives from ESO and Chilean companies sign CTAO-South contract
soltanto in inglese
Representatives from ESO and Chile companies sign CTAO-South contract
Representatives from ESO and Chile companies sign CTAO-South contract
soltanto in inglese
ESO and CTAO representatives at a contract-signing ceremony
ESO and CTAO representatives at a contract-signing ceremony
soltanto in inglese

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