MAGIC experiment
MAGIC is a system of two imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (or IACTs). MAGIC-I started routine operation after commissioning in 2004. Construction of MAGIC-II was completed in early 2009, and the two telescopes have been in operation ever since, with a break in 2012 for an upgrade that achieved full homogeneity.
The MAGIC telescopes are located at the Roque de los Muchachos IAC observatory (ORM), situated at an altitude around 2200 above sea level on the Canary island of La Palma. The picture on the rigth shows the two MAGIC Telescopes which are, with their 236 m2 reflective surface each. The camera detectors are composed by 1039 photmultiplier tubes pixels (ultra-fast digitized). The drive system allows to reposition the telescopes to any sky coordinate in less than 40 seconds (to promply react in case of a sudden Gamma Ray Bursts).
The cosmos and its evolution are studied using all radiation, charged cosmic rays, neutrinos, and, in particular, electromagnetic waves. The electromagnetic spectrum extends from radio waves (at wavelengths of several tens of meters, or energies of 10-9 eV) to ultra-high enery gamma quanta (wavelengths of picometers or energies of 100 TeV). Observations at visible wavelengths (.5 to 1 micrometer) have a history of centuries, gamma astronomy by satellites (keV to few GeV) and ground-based telescopes (above 300 GeV) are end-of-20th century newcomers. IACTs are ground-based telescopes for the detection of very high energy (VHE) electromagnetic particles, in particular gamma rays. Having no electric charge, VHE gammas are not affected by magnetic fields, and can, therefore, act as messengers of distant cosmic events, allowing straight extrapolation to the source. Although high-energy gamma quanta get absorbed in the atmosphere, they can be observed indirectly. The absorption process proceeds by creation of a cascade or shower of high-energy secondary particles. The Cherenkov method uses the fact that the charged secondary particles emit radiation at a characteristic angle, the Cherenkov radiation.
For the most recent findings, go to latest news , or to publications pages.
