The CTAO school is designed to help young researchers develop the great diversity of skills necessary in their scientific career, from the preparation of a scientific proposal, data analysis and science discussion, operation of telescopes and dissemination of their results, among others.

 

During the first week in Bertinoro (Italy), students will become familiar with research topics currently under study in Very High-Energy (VHE) Astrophysics, as well as with the most recent scientific news and results. This year, the lessons in Bertinoro will be focused on two main astrophysical topics: time-domain astronomy, and jetted astrophysics.

 

Time-domain astronomy aims at finding and characterizing highly variable sources, in doing so exploring the mechanisms behind this variability. This requires a coordinate effort with multiple facilities across the multi-wavelength spectrum, to regularly scan the whole sky, searching for transient phenomena, or to monitor for extended periods of time known highly variable targets. 

CTAO will play an instrumental role in time-domain astronomy, with its unprecedented capability of detecting Very High Energy  emission on short time-scales, matched with its effectiveness in promptly covering large portions of the sky.

 

Jetted astrophysics studies some of the most extreme events in the Universe: powerful explosions of material caused by compact accreting sources covering a broad range of physical scales (from cataclysmic variable stars to supermassive black holes). There is also increasing evidence that connects these objects to the still mysterious extragalactic neutrinos.

In the Very High Energy band, the emission mechanisms of these intriguing sources are still to be fully understand: CTAO will provide new insights and allow theoreticians to produce a new generation of models.

 

With the foundation set, students will also:

• Participate in hands-on sessions for data analysis, using the CTAO prototype science analysis tools, to get ready for the future CTAO data.

• Learn about best practices to write a successful scientific proposal. Students will have the chance to work together, under the supervision of the professors, to prepare their own scientific proposal to observe one or more targets with the fully-equipped prototype of the Large-Sized Telescope, the LST-1, built on La Palma (Spain). Proposals will be evaluated by a panel of experts, and those ranked highest will be submitted to the LST-1 Open Call for Observations later in the year.

• Present their own research to peers in a dedicated session that aims to foster discussion and synergies between students and professors.

 

The goal of the second week on La Palma (Spain) is to acquire the mindset of an observational astrophysicist and understand the technological challenges and opportunities of the Cherenkov technique. Thus, students will:
 

• Learn about the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes or Technique (IACT).

• Perform observations with the LST-1 at the CTAO Northern Site on the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory.

• Visit the LST-1 facilities, as well as other international telescopes, including the optical instruments Telescopio Nazionale Galileo (TNG) and Gran Telescopio de Canarias (GTC), and CTAO’s predecessor, the MAGIC telescopes.

 

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