The magic of lights is an enchanting experience that takes place in Vail, a beautiful ski resort town in Colorado. Each year, during the holiday season, the streets and buildings of Vail transform into a mesmerizing display of colorful lights. Walking through the village, one is greeted with a dazzling array of lights that brighten up the night sky. The snow-covered rooftops are adorned with icicle lights that twinkle in the cold winter air. The trees lining the streets are wrapped in sparkling fairy lights, creating a mystical atmosphere. As darkness falls, the lights come to life, illuminating the entire village.
Expect to pay 15-20 for cocktails. This is pretty standard for many nightclubs in Chicago.
TAO Group has partnered with Rockwell Group to design the space, with the goal of maintaining the structure s soaring stone-walls, arched windows, and special geometry and sightlines to offer guests a distinct sense of arrival and discovery. Tao Magic involves chanting specific phrases and performing the required hand gestures in order to harness one s own spiritual chi energy and use it to power a spell.
As darkness falls, the lights come to life, illuminating the entire village. The streets, shops, and restaurants are aglow with a magical radiance that is truly captivating. Visitors and residents alike can't help but be drawn to the warmth and beauty that the lights bring to Vail.
CTAO's expected "Alpha Configuration" performance
The CTA Observatory (CTAO) will provide very wide energy range and excellent angular resolution and sensitivity in comparison to any existing gamma-ray detector. Energies down to 20 GeV will allow CTAO to study the most distant objects. Energies up to 300 TeV will push CTAO beyond the edge of the known electromagnetic spectrum, providing a completely new view of the sky. Here is how CTAO’s energy range will compare to some of the existing astronomical instruments:
Comparison of CTAO’s Energy Range to other Instruments
The plots on this page represent the preliminary performance expected from CTAO during its first construction phase with the approved “Alpha Configuration,” as obtained from detailed Monte Carlo (MC) simulations of the facility.
The “Alpha Configuration” for the southern and northern arrays of the CTA Observatory, located at the Paranal Observatory (Chile) and Roque de los Muchachos Observatory (Spain) respectively, consists of:
- CTAO Northern Array: 4 Large-Sized Telescopes and 9 Medium-Sized Telescopes (area covered by the array of telescopes: ~0.25 km 2 )
- CTAO Southern Array: 14 Medium-Sized Telescopes and 37 Small-Sized Telescopes (area covered by the array of telescopes: ~3 km 2 )
Expected “Alpha Configuration” Performance Plots
Sensitivity
The differential sensitivity shown below is defined as the minimum flux needed by CTAO to obtain a 5-standard-deviation detection of a point-like source, calculated in non-overlapping logarithmic energy bins (five per decade). Besides the significant detection, we require at least ten detected gamma rays per energy bin, and a signal/background ratio of at least 1/20. The analysis cuts in each bin have been optimised to achieve the best flux sensitivity to point-like sources. The optimal cut values depend on the duration of the observation, therefore the performance curves are provided for three different observation times: 0.5, 5 and 50 hours.
CTAO Southern Array CTAO Northern Array CTAO Arrays Comparison
CTAO Southern Array vs Other Instruments CTAO Arrays vs Other Instruments CTAO Northern Array vs Other Instruments
Note that the curves for Fermi-LAT and HAWC are scaled by a factor 1.2 relative to the references (see below), to account for the different energy binning. The curves shown allow only a rough comparison of the sensitivity of the different instruments, as the method of calculation and the criteria applied are not identical. In particular, the definition of the differential sensitivity for HAWC is rather different due to the lack of an accurate energy reconstruction for individual photons in the HAWC analysis.
HAWC: arXiv:1701.01778
H.E.S.S.: Preliminary sensitivity curves for H.E.S.S.-I (stereo reconstruction), based on/adapted from Holler et. al 2015 (Proceedings of the 34th ICRC)
MAGIC: Astroparticle Physics 72 (2016) 76-94
Sensitivity vs Observation Time
Differential flux sensitivity of CTAO-North at selected energies as function of observation time in comparison with the Fermi-LAT instrument (Pass 8 analysis, extragalactic background, standard survey observing mode). The differential flux sensitivity is defined as the minimum flux needed to obtain a 5-standard-deviation detection from a point-like gamma-ray source, calculated for energy bins of a width of 0.2 decades. An additional constraint of a minimum of 10 excess counts is applied. Note that especially for exposures longer than several hours, the restrictions on observability of a transient object are much stricter for CTAO than for the Fermi-LAT. CTAO will be able to observe objects above 20 degrees elevation during dark sky conditions. The differential flux sensitivity shown above are for observations near 70-degree elevation angles.
Angular Resolution
The angular resolution vs. reconstructed energy curve shows the angle within which 68% of reconstructed gamma rays fall, relative to their true direction. Gamma-hadron separation cuts are applied for the MC events used to determine the angular resolution. Dedicated analysis cuts can provide improved angular (or spectral) resolution at the expense of collection area, enabling e.g. a better study of the morphology or spectral characteristics of bright sources.
CTAO Southern Array CTAO Northern Array Other InstrumentsEnergy Resolution and Energy Dispersion Matrix
The energy resolution ΔE / E is obtained from the distribution of (ER – ET) / ET , where R and T refer to the reconstructed and true energies of gamma-ray events recorded by CTAO. ΔE/E is the half-width of the interval around 0 which contains 68% of the distribution. The plot shows the energy resolution as a function of reconstructed energy (the result depends only weakly on the assumed gamma-ray spectrum; for the results here we use dNɣ/dE ~ E -2.62 ).
CTAO Southern ArrayCollection Area
The effective collection area for gamma rays from a point-like source is shown below vs. ET for gamma/hadron cuts optimised for 0.5-, 5- and 50-h observations (no cut in the reconstructed event direction applied):
CTAO Southern Array CTAO Northern ArrayThe effective collection area with cuts in the reconstructed event direction:
CTAO Southern Array CTAO Northern ArrayBackground Rate
The (post-analysis) residual cosmic-ray background rate per square degree vs reconstructed gamma-ray energy ER is shown below.
CTAO Arrays ComparisonThe rate is the one integrated in 0.2-decade-wide bins in estimated energy (i.e. five bins per decade). Gamma-hadron separation cuts optimised for different observing times are applied to the selection of simulated cosmic-ray proton and electron events.
For details on the assumed cosmic-ray proton and electron spectra, see Bernlöhr et al 2013.
Off-Axis Sensitivity
All performance parameters presented above are valid for a source located close to the centre of the CTA field of view (FoV). The differential sensitivity curves for a point-like source at increasing angular distances from the centre of the FoV are shown below.
CTAO Southern Array CTAO Northern ArrayAngular and energy resolution also degrade as one approaches the edge of the FoV. The provided IRFs contain the evolution of all performance parameters with off-axis angle.
The effective collection area with cuts in the reconstructed event direction:
The magic of lights extends beyond the village center. In the surrounding mountains, holiday-themed light displays illuminate the slopes, creating a breathtaking sight. Skiers and snowboarders glide down the slopes, surrounded by a sea of lights, adding a touch of wonder to their exhilarating experience. The magic of lights also brings people together. Families gather to marvel at the displays, children gaze in awe at the sparkling lights, and loved ones walk hand in hand through the illuminated village. The lights create a sense of unity and joy, reminding us of the true spirit of the holiday season. The magic of lights in Vail is not just about the visual spectacle. It is a reminder of the beauty and wonder that can be found in even the simplest things. It brings happiness and a sense of wonder to all who visit, creating memories that last a lifetime. In conclusion, the magic of lights in Vail is a truly enchanting experience. It transforms the town into a winter wonderland, captivating visitors with its dazzling displays. Beyond the visual beauty, it brings people together and creates a sense of joy and wonder. The magic of lights in Vail is a celebration of the holiday season and a reminder of the magic that can be found in the world around us..
Reviews for "Awakening the Senses: Embracing the Magic of Vailq's Lights"
1. Sarah - 2/5 star rating - The Magic of Lights Vailq was a huge disappointment for me. The advertised light show was underwhelming, and the overall experience left a lot to be desired. The lights were dim and outdated, lacking the vibrant colors and creativity that I had expected. Additionally, the layout of the event was confusing, with poor signage and organization. Overall, it was not worth the money and I would not recommend attending.
2. Mark - 1/5 star rating - I regret wasting my time and money on the Magic of Lights Vailq. The light display was incredibly underwhelming and lacked any sort of wow factor. The same patterns and colors repeated over and over again, making it extremely boring and unimpressive. The event was also overcrowded and chaotic, with long lines for everything. It was a complete letdown and I would not recommend it at all.
3. Emily - 2/5 star rating - I had high hopes for the Magic of Lights Vailq, but unfortunately, it fell short of my expectations. The light show itself was okay, but nothing spectacular. The displays were repetitive and lacked creativity. Moreover, the event was poorly managed, with long waiting times for attractions and a lack of crowd control. The overall experience left me feeling disappointed and I would not go again or recommend it to others.