1. Search for a signal from dark matter sub-halos with the galactic plane survey of CTA Observatory : master's thesisZoja Rokavec, 2024, master's thesis Abstract: Dark matter (DM), known to be a dominant matter component in the Universe,
has been searched for extensively, yet remains undetected. One of the promising
avenues of detecting a DM signal is to observe the so called ’DM sub-halos’ within
our galaxy. These sub-halos, which are numerous within the Milky Way, are formed
by the clustering of DM, as predicted by cosmological simulations, and most of
them lack baryonic matter counterparts, making them challenging to detect. How-
ever, the annihilation or decay of Weakly Interacting Massive Particles (WIMPs),
a leading candidate for DM, within these sub-halos is expected to produce very
high-energy (VHE) photons (called gamma-rays) at TeV energies, offering possible
indirect DM detection.
In this thesis, we focus on the Galactic Plane Survey (GPS) of the Cherenkov Tele-
scope Array Observatory (CTAO), an upcoming ground-based gamma-ray obser-
vatory, which promises unprecedented sensitivity and resolution in the detection
of cosmic gamma-ray sources in the ∼ 30 GeV to ∼ 100 TeV energy range. As
dark sub-halos are expected to appear as unidentified (point) sources in the CTAO
GPS data, we employ a machine learning (ML)-based approach, the AutoSour-
ceID framework, leveraging U-shaped networks (U-Nets) and Laplacian of Gaus-
sian (LoG) filter, for automatic source detection and localization, and apply it to
simulated GPS data. We establish detection thresholds for U-Nets trained on dif-
ferently scaled counts (counts, square root or log of counts) and identify which
approach offers best results (in terms of flux sensitivity and location accuracy).
Our findings suggest that using log-scaled counts yields a factor of 1.7 lower flux
threshold compared to counts alone. In addition, we compare our ML outcomes
with traditional methods; however, this comparison is not straightforward, as ML
and traditional approaches fundamentally differ in their methodologies and un-
derlying assumptions. Nevertheless, The flux threshold obtained using log-scaled
counts is comparable to that of the traditional likelihood-based detection method
implemented in the Gammapy library, although further study is needed to estab-
lish a more definitive comparison. These preliminary results also suggest that the
flux threshold for detecting 90% of true sources with the ML approach is approx-
imately two times lower than the sensitivity reported for the GPS in the CTAO
publication. Although these results are not directly comparable due to differences
in methodology, they hint that ML methods may offer superior performance in
certain scenarios. Furthermore, we discuss the implications of our results on the
sensitivity to DM sub-halos, improving it by a factor of 4, highlighting the possi-
bility of detecting at least one sub-halo with a cross section approximately ⟨σv⟩ =
2.4 × 10−23 cm3 /s.
Keywords: Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory, dark matter, sub-halos, machine learning, gamma-rays, master's thesis
Published in RUNG: 06.09.2024; Views: 288; Downloads: 1
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2. Detection of gamma-ray sources and search for dark matter signals with Cherenkov Telescope Array surveys : dissertationVeronika Vodeb, 2024, doctoral dissertation Abstract: Gamma rays serve as important messengers in modern astrophysics, offering insights into the most energetic processes in the cosmos. Advancements in gamma-ray astronomy, facilitated by international scientific collaboration, have expanded its reach and capabilities. The Fermi-Large Area Telescope (Fermi-LAT) has so far contributed immensely to our understanding of the gamma-ray sky at GeV energies, surveying numerous source classes. At the same time, ground-based observatories like H.E.S.S., MAGIC, VERITAS, HAWC, and LHASSO, enable the exploration of high-energy (HE) phenomena across various energy scales, reaching the PeV range. The collective data from Fermi-LAT and ground-based instruments provide a comprehensive picture of cosmic phenomena across diverse energy regimes. Efforts to catalog HE gamma-ray sources have resulted in the detection of several thousand sources at GeV, including Pulsar Wind Nebulae (PWNe), Supernova Remnants (SNRs), pulsars, blazars, and Gamma-Ray Bursts (GRBs), with the observational capability to study their spectral and spatial morphology enhancing our understanding of their origin and evolution.
Looking ahead, the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) represents the next frontier in ground-based gamma-ray astronomy. Operating at very high energies (VHE) between 20 GeV and 300 TeV, CTA's improved sensitivity, angular resolution, and expanded field of view (FoV) promise enhanced imaging of extended sources and performance of large-scale surveys. CTA's Key Science Projects (KSPs) include the Extragalactic (EGAL) survey, a survey of a quarter of the extragalactic sky, and the Galactic Plane Survey (GPS), a survey of the entire Galactic Plane (GP). The KSPs will receive dedicated observation time and careful planning to ensure the optimization of their scientific output. As CTA is currently entering the construction phase, simulations are being extensively employed to predict its response to various signals, playing a vital role in comprehending CTA's response and sensitivity to different signals. The derived predictions are paving the way for estimating the CTA's scientific output, informing the observational strategy, and ensuring its success in maximizing the contribution to HE gamma-ray astronomy.
In this thesis, I contribute to assessing the sensitivity of the CTA surveys, particularly the GPS and the EGAL survey, to diverse astrophysical sources and signals. Focusing on the GPS, I delve into understanding the detectability of pulsar halos, which emit multi-TeV gamma rays, the detection of which was recently reported by the HAWC Observatory. The study involves a spatial-spectral likelihood analysis, evaluating sensitivity to simple Gaussian extended sources and physically modeled sources. Employing a template-fitting approach, I analyze CTA's GPS sensitivity to extended sources and explore the prospects for pulsar halo detection and characterization. A preliminary population study addresses the visibility of pulsar halos to CTA's GPS and explores the angular sensitivity to extended sources. The thesis sets the detectability prospects of pulsar halos with CTA and investigates what fraction of the preliminary pulsar halo population CTA will be able to probe.
The thesis extends its exploration into the persistent mystery of dark matter (DM), a fundamental puzzle in cosmology. The search for DM signals remains a vigorous pursuit in the physics community, utilizing various astrophysical messengers resulting from DM particle annihilation or decay. I investigate the potential of CTA's GPS to detect dark sub-halos within our galaxy, utilizing a similar approach as in the sensitivity assessment to pulsar halos, applied to recent sub-halo population simulations. Furthermore, the thesis addresses the intricate task of disentangling DM components from astrophysical contributions in the observed gamma-ray sky. In terms of the EGAL survey, employing advanced statistical methods such as the cross-correlation technique, I explore the prospects of using CTA's EGAL survey to correlate the Extragalactic Gamma-ray Background (EGRB) with galaxy catalogs, providing insights into DM properties.
While traditional methods rely on likelihood analysis with background subtraction or template fitting, the emergence of supervised machine learning (ML) offers a novel, potentially more effective approach for cataloging the sky. The thesis touches upon the usability of ML in the high and VHE gamma-ray sky. My study focuses on CTA's GPS and utilizes deep-learning-based algorithms in a detection pipeline for the automatic classification of extended sources from gamma-ray data.
As CTA stands at the forefront of gamma-ray astronomy as the next-generation observatory, the research presented in this thesis contributes a small step towards answering the open questions about pulsar halos and DM, showcasing the potential breakthroughs that may emerge from CTA's observations. The detailed likelihood analysis performed aims to advance our understanding of these enigmas, from the physical intricacies of pulsar halos to the elusive nature of DM, driven by curiosity about the continuous exploration of the Universe's mysteries.
Keywords: high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, astroparticle physics, Cherenkov Telescope Array, pulsar halos, dark matter, dissertations
Published in RUNG: 06.06.2024; Views: 696; Downloads: 9
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3. Study of downward Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes with the surface detector of the Pierre Auger ObservatoryRoberta Colalillo, Andrej Filipčič, Jon Paul Lundquist, Shima Ujjani Shivashankara, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, 2023, published scientific conference contribution Abstract: The surface detector (SD) of the Pierre Auger Observatory, consisting of 1660 water-Cherenkov detectors (WCDs), covers 3000 km2 in the Argentinian pampa. Thanks to the high efficiency of WCDs in detecting gammarays, it represents a unique instrument for studying downward Terrestrial Gamma-ray Flashes (TGFs) over a large area. Peculiar events, likely related to downward TGFs, were detected at the Auger Observatory. Their experimental signature and time evolution are very
different from those of a shower produced by an ultrahigh-energy cosmic ray. They happen in coincidence with low thunderclouds and lightning, and their large deposited energy at the ground is compatible with that of a standard downward TGF with the source a few kilometers above the ground. A new trigger algorithm to increase the TGF-like event statistics was installed in the whole array. The study of the performance of the new trigger system during the lightning season is ongoing and will provide a handle to develop improved algorithms to implement in the Auger upgraded electronic boards. The available data sample, even if small, can give important clues about the TGF production models, in particular, the shape of WCD signals. Moreover, the SD allows us to observe more than one point in the TGF beam, providing information on the emission angle.
Keywords: Pierre Auger Observatory, ultra-high energy cosmic rays, surface detectors, extensive air shower, terrestrial gamma-ray flashes
Published in RUNG: 23.01.2024; Views: 1086; Downloads: 7
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4. The third Fermi Large Area Telescope catalog of gamma-ray pulsarsD. A. Smith, S. Abdollahi, M. Ajello, M. Bailes, L. Baldini, J. Ballet, M. G. Baring, C. Bassa, J. Becerra Gonzalez, R. Bellazzini, Gabrijela Zaharijas, 2023, original scientific article Keywords: gamma ray astrophysics, catalogues, pulsars
Published in RUNG: 15.01.2024; Views: 1078; Downloads: 7
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5. Fermi-GBM discovery of GRB 221009A : an extraordinarily bright GRB from onset to afterglowS. Lesage, P. Veres, M. S. Briggs, A. Goldstein, D. Kocevski, E. Burns, C. A. Wilson-Hodge, P. N. Bhat, D. Huppenkothen, Gabrijela Zaharijas, 2023, original scientific article Keywords: gamma-ray bursts, GRB 221009A, cosmic ray astronomy
Published in RUNG: 15.01.2024; Views: 1013; Downloads: 5
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6. Mind the gap : the discrepancy between simulation and reality drives interpretations of the Galactic Center ExcessSascha Caron, Christopher Eckner, Luc Hendriks, Gudlaugur Johannesson, Roberto Ruiz de Austri, Gabrijela Zaharijas, 2023, original scientific article Keywords: gamma-ray astrophysics, dark matter, galactic center
Published in RUNG: 15.01.2024; Views: 1235; Downloads: 7
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7. The fourth catalog of active galactic nuclei detected by the Fermi Large Area Telescope : data release 3M. Ajello, L. Baldini, J. Ballet, D. Bastieri, J. Becerra Gonzalez, R. Bellazzini, A. Berretta, E. Bissaldi, R. Bonino, Gabrijela Zaharijas, 2022, original scientific article Keywords: gamma ray astrophysics, active galactic nucleai
Published in RUNG: 15.01.2024; Views: 992; Downloads: 6
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8. The Cherenkov Telescope ArrayDaniel Mazin, Christopher Eckner, Gašper Kukec Mezek, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Lili Yang, Gabrijela Zaharijas, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, Lukas Zehrer, 2019, published scientific conference contribution Abstract: The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the next generation ground-based observatory
for gamma-ray astronomy at very-high energies. It will be capable of detecting gamma rays in the energy range from 20 GeV to more than 300 TeV with unprecedented precision in energy and directional reconstruction. With more than 100 telescopes of three different types it will be located in the northern hemisphere at La Palma, Spain, and in the southern
at Paranal, Chile. CTA will be one of the largest astronomical infrastructures in the world with open data access and it will address questions in astronomy, astrophysics and fundamental physics in the next decades. In this presentation we will focus on the status
of the CTA construction, the status of the telescope prototypes and highlight some of the physics perspectives.
Keywords: very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, Cherenkov Telescope Array, CTA sensitivity, gamma-ray bursts, POpulation Synthesis Theory Integrated project for very high-energy emission
Published in RUNG: 04.12.2023; Views: 1415; Downloads: 5
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9. POSyTIVE : a GRB population study for the Cherenkov Telescope ArrayMaria Grazia Bernardini, Christopher Eckner, Gašper Kukec Mezek, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Lili Yang, Gabrijela Zaharijas, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, Lukas Zehrer, 2019, published scientific conference contribution Abstract: One of the central scientific goals of the next-generation Cherenkov Telescope Array
(CTA) is the detection and characterization of gamma-ray bursts (GRBs). CTA will be sensitive to gamma rays with energies from about 20 GeV, up to a few hundred TeV.
The energy range below 1 TeV is particularly important for GRBs. CTA will allow exploration of this regime with a ground-based gamma-ray facility with unprecedented sensitivity.
As such, it will be able to probe radiation and particle acceleration mechanisms at work in GRBs. In this contribution, we describe POSyTIVE, the POpulation Synthesis Theory Integrated project for very high-energy emission. The purpose of the project is to make realistic predictions for the detection rates of GRBs with CTA, to enable studies
of individual simulated GRBs, and to perform preparatory studies for time-resolved
spectral analyses. The mock GRB population used by POSyTIVE is calibrated using the entire 40-year dataset of multi-wavelength GRB observations. As part of this project we explore theoretical models for prompt and afterglow emission of long and short GRBs,
and predict the expected radiative output. Subsequent analyses are performed
in order to simulate the observations with CTA, using the publicly available ctools and Gammapy frameworks. We present preliminary results of the design and implementation
of this project.
Keywords: very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, Cherenkov Telescope Array, CTA sensitivity, gamma-ray bursts, population Synthesis Theory, very high-energy emission
Published in RUNG: 04.12.2023; Views: 1961; Downloads: 3
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10. Cherenkov Telescope Array Science : a multi-wavelength and multi-messenger perspectiveUlisses Barres de Almeida, Christopher Eckner, Gašper Kukec Mezek, Samo Stanič, Serguei Vorobiov, Lili Yang, Gabrijela Zaharijas, Danilo Zavrtanik, Marko Zavrtanik, Lukas Zehrer, 2019, published scientific conference contribution Abstract: The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) will be the major global observatory for
VHE gamma-ray astronomy over the next decade and beyond. It will be an explorer
of the extreme universe, with a broad scientific potential: from understanding the role of relativistic cosmic particles, to the search for dark matter. Covering photon energies from 20 GeV to 300 TeV, and with an angular resolution unique in the field, of about 1 arc min, CTA will improve on all aspects of the performance with respect to current instruments, surveying the high energy sky hundreds of times faster than previous TeV telescopes,
and with a much deeper view. The very large collection area of CTA makes it an important probe of transient phenomena. The first CTA telescope has just been inaugurated in the Canary Islands, Spain, and as more telescopes are added in the coming years, scientific operation will start. It is evident that CTA will have important synergies with many of the
new generation astronomical and astroparticle observatories. In this talk we will review
the CTA science case from the point of view of its synergies with other instruments and
facilities, highlighting the CTA needs in terms of external data, as well as the opportunities and strategies for cooperation to achieve the basic CTA science goals.
Keywords: very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, Cherenkov Telescope Array, CTA performances, transient VHE sources, CTA science
Published in RUNG: 04.12.2023; Views: 2103; Downloads: 6
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