Performance and applications of the UVscope instrument

UVscope is a portable multi-pixels photon detector developed at IASF-Pa to support experimental activities in the high-energy astrophysics and cosmic rays field. The instrument, working in single photon counting mode, is designed to directly measure light flux in the wavelengths range 300-650 nm. Thanks to its features and operational flexibility, the instrument can be used in a wide field of applications where the knowledge of the environmental luminosity is required, as in the characterization of sites for ground-based Cherenkov and fluorescence telescopes, and for cross-calibration of their cameras.The present version of UVscope is based on a Multi Anode Photo Multiplier Tube and it is completed by a motorized mount and a filter wheel which allow to make low-light measurements, at programmed pointing directions and at different filter wavelengths. In this paper, the instrument is firstly presented in all its components; then the procedures adopted for its absolute and relative calibration are detailed. The performance of UVscope is evaluated and, finally, current and planned scientific applications are described.