Exploring the Universe through Gamma-Ray Astronomy: Characterization and Performance of the LST-1 Telescope

Abstract

Gamma-ray astronomy allows for the exploration of the most energetic phenomena in the universe and has seen significant advances in the 21st century, as evidenced by the development of the LST-1 telescope, a part of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The LST-1, situated at the Roque de los Muchachos Observatory in La Palma, Spain, commenced its commissioning phase in October 2018 and captured its first light in December of the same year. This research primarily addresses the characterization of the LST-1 telescope, utilizing Monte Carlo simulations and real data from observations of the Crab Nebula to assess its performance, which is already approaching the design requirements. Furthermore, the results obtained from observations of the Active Galactic Nuclei Markarian 421, Markarian 501, and 1ES 1969+560 agree with those obtained by other telescopes, thus validating the efficacy of the LST-1.