CTAO Science Symposium

As the CTAO (Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory), the world’s largest and most sensitive gamma-ray observatory, gets ready to deliver its first scientific results, the field of Very-High Energy (VHE) gamma-ray astronomy is poised for a transformation.

We are proud to announce that the 3rd edition of the CTAO Science Symposium will take place within the 33rd General Assembly of the International Astronomical Union (IAU), to be held in the historic city of Rome, Italy. Within this prestigious framework, we invite astronomers, particle physicists, and multi-wavelength/multi-messenger partners to join and discuss cutting-edge research, explore synergies, and examine the transformative science that the CTAO is delivering as it ushers in a new era of multi-messenger astrophysics.

The symposium will bring together scientists from around the world to discuss the Observatory’s current phase of development and its anticipated scientific impact. Participants will have the opportunity to contribute and learn about:

The construction of the CTAO, its expected performance, and data access;

The upcoming CTAO Science Data Challenge;

The study of cosmic rays and relativistic particles;

Compact objects and extreme environments;

Fundamental physics and frontiers in new science;

Hot topics in multi-wavelength and multi-messenger (MWL/MM) astronomy;

Technical first light results from the first telescopes installed at the two CTAO observation stations; and

Scientific highlights of the Large-Sized Telescope (LST-1) at the CTAO-North site.

​Significant time will be dedicated to contributed talks, with reserved opportunities for early-career researchers, as well as poster sessions where authors can briefly present their contributions to the audience.

We encourage abstract submissions for talks and posters covering a wide range of thematic areas: cosmic particle accelerators, the transient and variable sky, MWL/MM synergies, fundamental physics, dark matter, and CTAO capabilities and early science. The submission deadline is January 15, 2027.

The registration and abstract submission for the CTAO Science Symposium is handled directly through the IAU GA system (listed as "IAU S416").

More information: https://symposium.ctao.org/

Download the poster here.