Active damping of the camera support mast of a Cherenkov Gamma-ray telescope

This paper explores the possibility of damping actively the camera support mast of Gamma-ray telescopes with a configuration similar to the MAGIC telescope, where the camera is supported by a curved mast and an array of cables. This is achieved by replacing a set of passive cables by a set of active ones, controlled by active tendons. Each active tendon consists of a displacement actuator collocated to a force sensor with independent force feedback control loops. The paper outlines the theory of decentralized active damping of cable-structures, points out the main design parameters, and evaluates the amount of damping that the control system can provide. The effect of the control on the wind response and on the transient response of the telescope is estimated.