Why is the Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment Telescope (MACE) considered a significant milestone in India's advancement in high-energy astrophysics, and how does it differ fundamentally from conventional optical telescopes?
Show answer & explanation
Correct answer: C
Explanation
Solution: The correct answer is MACE detects very high-energy gamma rays indirectly by capturing Cherenkov radiation produced in the Earth's atmosphere, unlike optical telescopes which observe direct light from celestial sources.
Explanation:
☛ The Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment (MACE) telescope is designed to observe very high-energy gamma rays originating from deep space phenomena like supernovae, pulsars, and active galactic nuclei.
☛ Gamma rays cannot penetrate Earth's atmosphere directly; instead, upon striking the upper atmosphere, they produce cascading showers of charged particles.
☛ When these secondary charged particles travel faster than the phase velocity of light in air, they produce a faint bluish flash known as Cherenkov radiation.
☛ Unlike conventional optical telescopes that focus direct visible light from stars and planets, MACE captures these nanosecond-scale Cherenkov light flashes to indirectly reconstruct the energy and direction of primary gamma rays.
Extra Exam-Relevant Facts:
☛ Location: MACE is set up at Hanle, Ladakh, situated at an altitude of approximately 4,300 metres above sea level.
☛ Global Record: It is the highest-altitude imaging Cherenkov telescope in the world and the largest of its kind in Asia.
☛ Development: The telescope was indigenously built by the Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC) with the help of Indian industrial partners like Electronics Corporation of India Limited (ECIL).
☛ Physical Dimensions: It features a 21-metre-diameter segmented parabolic reflector surface composed of hundreds of diamond-turned metallic mirror facets.
Important One-Liners for Upcoming Exams:
☛ Which organisation indigenously developed the MACE telescope? → Bhabha Atomic Research Centre (BARC)
☛ In which Union Territory is the MACE telescope located? → Ladakh (Hanle)
☛ What type of celestial radiation does MACE primarily detect? → Very high-energy gamma rays
☛ Who was awarded the 1958 Nobel Prize in Physics for the discovery of Cherenkov radiation? → Pavel Cherenkov (along with Ilya Frank and Igor Tamm)
☛ What is the diameter of the primary reflector dish of the MACE telescope? → 21 metres