Radio (continuum)/optical/cosmic-ray/neutrino linkages
The Australian astronomical community has strong research capabilities in these areas, and links between CTA and local researchers in these fields have been established, with all involved benefiting from this collaboration.
Data analysis
CTA will generate large quantities of experimental data (around 12 PB per year), with data reduction and analysis being required both in real-time and later. Australia contributes expertise towards this effort.
Atmospheric characterisation
Knowing the way that our atmosphere affects light travelling through it is of great importance in understanding the data generated by the array's Cherenkov telescopes.
Australia contributes to studies of cloud cover detection and atmospheric light transmission in this regard.
Australia's contribution to CTA
The CTA is a major international collaboration, and each country in such a venture typically makes contributions to a selected subset of the full variety of requirements for that project, with those areas being ones in which the local participants have particular strengths and interests.
Australia's interests and contributions are outlined here.
Interstellar medium (ISM) surveys
Since cosmic rays can interact with the material in the ISM, many of the observed TeV gamma-ray sources in the plane of the Milky Way may result from such interactions.
Thus, studies of the distrubution of the ISM are of very great importance in the interpretation of the results from gamma-ray observations. Australia undertakes radio-frequency emission-line surveys of the galactic ISM towards this goal. See here for more information.
Compact High-energy Camera (CHEC) for the Small-Sized Telescopes
Australia contributes some funding and personnel time to the implementation of the cameras for the Small-Sized Telescopes (SST). These are known as the Compact High-Energy Cameras, and will provide a robust, cost-efficient module to be placed at the focus of each of the SST units.