Astroclimatic Characterization of Vallecitos: A Candidate Site for the Cherenkov Telescope Array at San Pedro Mártir. (4th February 2016)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Tovmassian, Gagik; Hernandez, Mercedes-Stephania; Ochoa, Jose Luis; Ernenwein, Jean-Pierre; Mandat, Dusan; Pech, Miroslav; Frayn, Ilse Plauchu; Colorado, Enrique; Murillo, Jose Manuel; Ceseña, Urania; Garcia, Benjamin; H. Lee, William; Bulik, Tomasz; Garczarczyk, Markus; Fruck, Christian; Costantini, Heide; Cieslar, Marek; Aune, Taylor; Vincent, Stephane; Carr, John; Serre, Natalia; Janecek, Petr; Haefner, Dennis
• Is Part Of: Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific. Volume 128:Number 961(2016)
• Publication Date: 2016-02-04
• Subjects: site testing; Astronomy -- Periodicals; Astronomy; Periodicals; Periodicals; 520.5
• DOI: 10.1088/1538-3873/128/961/035004
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0004-6280

Abstract

Abstract: We conducted an 18 month long study of the weather conditions of the Vallecitos, a proposed site in México to harbor the northern array of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). It is located in Sierra de San Pedro Mártir (SPM) a few kilometers away from Observatorio Astronómico Nacional. The study is based on data collected by the ATMOSCOPE, a multi-sensor instrument measuring the weather and sky conditions, which was commissioned and built by the CTA Consortium. Additionally, we compare the weather conditions of the optical observatory at SPM to the Vallecitos regarding temperature, humidity, and wind distributions. It appears that the excellent conditions at the optical observatory benefit from the presence of microclimate established in the Vallecitos.