Design studies for a European Gamma-ray Observatory

Abstract

We discuss preliminary studies concerning a large-diameter gamma-ray telescope, to be part of an array of telescopes installed at the existing observation site on the Canary island of La Palma. One of the telescopes in the array will be MAGIC, presently the largest existing gamma ray telescope and the most performant world wide at low energy. A second telescope of the same class is under construction. Eventually, we will want to install one or more devices giving access to even lower gamma-ray energy; they will be larger than MAGIC by roughly a linear factor two, and are code-named ECO-1000 (for a mirror surface of 1000 sq.m.). We discuss the technologies needed to reach the physical low-energy limit. They exist at the component level, but have to be field-tested; we propose to implement and integrate the most critical components in a MAGIC-class telescope, such that the eventual extrapolation to a larger device becomes a fully predictable step. If financing can be found, such tests can be completed on a timescale such that a proposal for the first true low-theshold (< 8 GeV) telescope can be made in 2007, and its construction completed in 2009/2010.