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1. The upgraded camera for the prototype Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope of the Cherenkov Telescope Array

   https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2530431  

   Paoletti, Riccardo (September 2019, The upgraded camera for the prototype Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope of the Cherenkov Telescope Array)

   The Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (SCT) is a mid-size telescope proposed for the Cherenkov Telescope Array. In order to substantially improve the eld of view and image resolution compared to i traditional Davies-Cotton telescopes, innovative solutions are foreseen in the design, like the use of Silicon Photomultipliers (SiPM) as light sensors and waveform digitizers for recording the fast light signals from atmospheric showers. A project is now underway to upgrade the camera by increasing its pixel count to 11; 328 pixels and field of view of 8:0. The camera electronics has been completely redesigned by using new waveform digitizer and trigger ASICs with the final goal of lowering the gamma-ray energy threshold and therefore provide an excellent instrument tailored for extended sources investigations and multi-messenger astronomy. 

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2. Alignment of the optical system of the 9.7-m prototype Schwarzchild-Coulder Telescope

   https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2564653  

   Adams, C.~B.~; Alfaro, R.~; G.~Ambrosi, Ambrosi; Ambrosio, M.~; Aramo, C.~; Benbow, W.~; Bertucci, B.~; Bissaldi, E.~; Bitossi, M.~; Boiano, A.~; et al (December 2020, Proceedings Volume 11445, Ground-based and Airborne Telescopes VIII;)

   Marshall, Heather K.; Spyromilio, Jason; Usuda, Tomonori (Ed.)

   The novel 9.7m Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (SCT), utilizing aspheric dual-mirror optical system, has been constructed as a prototype medium size x-ray telescope for the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) observatory. The prototype SCT (pSCT) is designed to achieve simultaneously the wide (≥ 8°) field of view and the superior imaging resolution (0.067 per pixel) to significantly improve scientific capabilities of the observatory in conducting the sky surveys, the follow-up observations of multi-messenger transients with poorly known initial localization and the morphology studies of x-ray sources with angular extent. In this submission, we describe the hardware and software implementations of the telescope optical system as well as the methods specifically developed to align its complex optical system, in which both primary and secondary mirrors are segmented. The pSCT has detected Crab Nebula in June 2020 during ongoing commissioning, which was delayed due to worldwide pandemic and is not yet completed. Verification of pSCT performance is continuing and further improvement of optical alignment is anticipated. 

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3. The wide-field infrared transient explorer (WINTER)

   https://doi.org/10.1117/12.2561210  

   Lourie, Nathan P.; Baker, John W.; Burruss, Richard S.; Egan, Mark D.; Furész, Gábor; Frostig, Danielle; Garcia-Zych, Allan A.; Ganciu, Nicolae; Haworth, Kari; Hinrichsen, Erik; et al (December 2020, X-Ray, Optical, and Infrared Detectors for Astronomy IX)

   Evans, Christopher J.; Bryant, Julia J.; Motohara, Kentaro (Ed.)

   The Wide-Field Infrared Transient Explorer (WINTER) is a new infrared time-domain survey instrument which will be deployed on a dedicated 1 meter robotic telescope at the Palomar Observatory. WINTER will perform a seeing-limited time domain survey of the infrared (IR) sky, with a particular emphasis on identifying r -process material in binary neutron star (BNS) merger remnants detected by LIGO. We describe the scientific goals and survey design of the WINTER instrument. With a dedicated trigger and the ability to map the full LIGO O4 positional error contour in the IR to a distance of 190 Mpc within four hours, WINTER will be a powerful kilonova discovery engine and tool for multi-messenger astrophysics investigations. In addition to follow-up observations of merging binaries, WINTER will facilitate a wide range of time-domain astronomical observations, all the while building up a deep coadded image of the static infrared sky suitable for survey science. WINTER's custom camera features six commercial large-format Indium Gallium Arsenide (InGaAs) sensors and a tiled optical system which covers a <1-square-degree field of view with 90% fill factor. The instrument observes in Y, J and a short-H (Hs) band tuned to the long-wave cutoff of the InGaAs sensors, covering a wavelength range from 0.9 - 1.7 microns. We present the design of the WINTER instrument and current progress towards final integration at the Palomar Observatory and commissioning planned for mid-2021. 

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4. Commissioning and performance of the Trinity Demonstrator

   https://doi.org/10.1016/j.nima.2025.170769  

   Bagheri, Mahdi; Barletta, Adam; Bogdan, Jordan; Brown, Anthony M; Cedeno, Luigi; Fedkevych, Mariia; Gadamsetty, Srikar; Gazda, Eliza; Holder, Jamie; Judd, Eleanor; et al (November 2025, Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment)

   The Trinity Demonstrator is a proof of concept prototype for the Trinity Neutrino Observatory, which is sensitive to astrophysical neutrinos above PeV energies. The Demonstrator is a one-square meter class imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope deployed on Frisco Peak, Utah, and remotely operated. The light-collection surface is equipped with 77 mirror facets with 15 cm diameter, and its field of view is instrumented with a 256-pixel silicon-photomultiplier camera yielding a angular resolution. The camera signals are digitized with a 100 MS/s, and 12-bit resolution switched capacitor array readout. We discuss the Demonstrator’s design, the telescope’s deployment on Frisco Peak, and its commissioning. 

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5. The Renovated Thacher Observatory and First Science Results

   https://doi.org/10.1088/1538-3873/ac5aca  

   Swift, Jonathan J.; Andersen, Karina; Arculli, Toby; Browning, Oakley; Ding, Jeffrey; Edwards, Nick; Fanning, Tomás; Geyer, John; Huber, Grace; Jin-Ngo, Dylan; et al (March 2022, Publications of the Astronomical Society of the Pacific)

   Abstract Located on the campus of the Thacher School in Southern California, the Thacher Observatory has a legacy of astronomy research and education that dates back to the late 1950s. In 2016, the observatory was fully renovated with upgrades including a new 0.7 m telescope, a research grade camera, and a slit dome with full automation capabilities. The low-elevation site is bordered by the Los Padres National Forest and therefore affords dark to very dark skies allowing for accurate and precise photometric observations. We present a characterization of the site including sky brightness, weather, and seeing, and we demonstrate the on-sky performance of the facility. Our primary research programs are based around our multi-band photometric capabilities and include photometric monitoring of variable sources, a nearby supernova search and followup program, a quick response transient followup effort, and exoplanet and eclipsing binary light curves. Select results from these programs are included in this work which highlight the broad range of science available to an automated observatory with a moderately sized telescope. 

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