Current status and operation of the H.E.S.S. array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes

Abstract

The High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.) is an array of five imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) to study gamma-ray emission from astrophysical objects in the Southern hemisphere. It is the only hybrid array of IACTs, composed of telescopes with different collection areas and footprints, individually optimised for a specific energy range. Collectively, the array is most sensitive to gamma rays in the range of 100 GeV to 100 TeV. The array has been in operation since 2002 and has been upgraded with new telescopes and cameras multiple times. Recent hardware upgrades and changes in the operational procedures increased the amount of observing time, which is of key importance for time-domain science. H.E.S.S. operations saw record data taking in 2020 and 2021 and we describe the current operations with specific emphasis on system performance, operational processes and workflows, quality control, and (near) real-time extraction of science results. In light of this, we will briefly discuss the early detection of gamma-ray emission from the recurrent nova RS Oph and alert distribution to the astrophysics community.