四川LACT首台望远镜“首光” 捕获宇宙“标准烛光”

Core Insights - The first telescope of the Large Air Shower Telescope (LACT) project successfully achieved its "first light" observation, capturing gamma-ray signals from the Crab Nebula, marking a significant step in understanding the origins of cosmic rays [1][2] Group 1: Project Overview - The LACT project was approved in September 2024, aiming to construct an array of 32 imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes to enhance the precision and imaging capabilities of ultra-high-energy gamma-ray source detection [1] - The first telescope, with a 6-meter aperture, was deployed at an altitude of 4410 meters in Daocheng, Sichuan, and successfully detected multiple gamma-ray signals from a celestial body approximately 6500 light-years away [1] Group 2: Technical Achievements - The design, development, and high-altitude installation of the telescope were completed by a team of young scientists, overcoming challenges such as low oxygen and temperature at high altitudes [2] - The newly developed composite material mirrors achieved international advanced performance, ensuring the successful completion of the observation tasks [2] Group 3: Future Developments - The project team has optimized and finalized the design of the LACT telescope, with the second telescope currently being installed at the Tianfu Cosmic Ray Research Center, and plans for batch production are underway [2] - The first batch of four telescopes is expected to be completed and installed by 2026, with the full array anticipated to yield significant scientific results in the fields of cosmic ray origins and ultra-high-energy gamma astronomy [2]