Title:Â The Southern Wide-Field Gamma-Ray Observatory (SWGO)
Abstract: The last decade has seen the deployment of 2 large wide field gamma-ray observatories, the HAWC observatory in Mexico and the LHAASO observatory in China. These high-elevation instruments utilize large volumes of water to detect particles from the EM shower cascades that reach the observation level. Unlike Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs), these surface arrays can operate continuously, not just on clear nights, and can view the entire overhead sky, instead of just a narrow field. With their large collection areas and enormous exposure, ground arrays have the highest energy reach of any telescope in the EM band, reaching up to 1 PeV. The Southern Wide-Field Gamma-Ray Observatory collaboration was formed in 2020 to design and build an optimized detector for the southern hemisphere. This instrument will be deployed at an extremely high elevation location in the altiplano, either Chile, Argentina or Peru. Prior to the proposal, we are conducting an extensive engineering and simulation design study to optimize the instrument’s construction and performance. I will review the current status of HAWC and LHAASO and describe the results of the SWGO development project and our plans to build the instrument in the coming years.