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What is VERITAS?

VERITAS (Very Energetic Radiation Imaging Telescope Array System) is an array of four 12m optical telescopes located at Fred Lawrence Whipple Observatory near Amado, Arizona, U.S.A. Being one of the most advanced ground based gamma ray telescope arrays in the northern hemisphere, it is currently making measurements that will expand the field of very high energy astrophysics.

Unlike light in the optical range, gamma rays cannot be detected with traditional telescopes. When a gamma ray hits the earth’s atmosphere, it disintegrates into a shower of sub atomic particles. Within this air shower there is Cherenkov radiation, light that is detected by the VERITAS telescopes. From this measurement the nature of the incident gamma ray can be determined. This method compliments the gamma-ray astronomy of the recently launched GLAST, the next generation satellite telescope.

VERITAS is a ground-based observatory for gamma-ray astronomy in the energy range 50 GeV- 50 TeV. Critical measurements of astrophysical sources such as active galactic nuclei, supernova remnants, pulsars, and gamma-ray bursts are made. In addition, VERITAS will probe beyond the standard models of particle physics and cosmology by searching for dark matter, primordial black holes and violation of Lorentz invariance.

The VERITAS Array

VERITAS at UCLA

UCLA has the primary responsibility of the Constant Fraction Discriminator Level 1 Trigger of the array in addition to the multi-telescope Level 3 Trigger. UCLA also manages the online data storage and archiving facility while playing a major role in the Sky Survey and Dark Matter Key Science Projects. For more information regarding one of UCLA’s sub projects, go to the links located under the UCLA Sub Projects section in the right side bar.

VERITAS Support

VERITAS research is supported by the U.S. Department of Energy, U.S. National Science Foundation, the Smithsonian Institution, NSERC (Canada), PPARC (U.K.) and Enterprise Ireland.