Contributions from the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) Consortium to the ICRC 2011

Understand

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is a project for the construction of a next generation VHE gamma ray observatory with full sky coverage.

• Its aim is improving by about one order of magnitude the sensitivity of the existing installations, covering about 5 decades in energy (from few tens of GeV to above a hundred TeV) and having enhanced angular and energy resolutions.
• During 2010 the project became a truly global endeavour carried out by a consortium of about 750 collaborators from Europe, Asia, Africa and the North and South Americas.
• Also during 2010 the CTA project completed its Design Study phase and started a Preparatory Phase that is expected to extend for three years and should lead to the starting of the construction of CTA.