We estimate the limiting angular resolution and detection area for an array of 3 large-aperture Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes. We consider an idealized IACT system in order to understand the limitations imposed by the intrinsic nature of the atmospheric showers and geometry of the detector configuration. The idealization includes the assumptions of a perfect optical system and the absence of the night sky background with the goal of finding the optimum camera geometry and array configuration independent of detailed assumptions about the telescope design.
The showers are simulated using the ALTAI code for the altitude of 2700 m corresponding to one of possible future sites for a new northern-hemisphere array. The optimal design depends on the target energy range; for each energy we vary both the cell length (telescope spacing) and the image processing parameters in order to maximize the signal-to-noise ratio. We then present the resulting values of the detection area and the angular resolution for this energy dependent optimization. We discuss the dependence of these quantities on the field of view of the telescopes and pixel size of the camera.
Atmospheric density profiles as well as several light absorption and scattering processes depend on geographic position and are generally time-variable. Their impact on the atmospheric Cherenkov technique in general (imaging or non-imaging) is investigated. Different density profiles lead to differences in Cherenkov light density of up to 60%. Seasonal variations at mid-latitude sites are of the order of 15-20%. The quest for improved energy calibration of Cherenkov experiments also shows the need for improved transmission calculations, taking all relevant processes into account and using real…
Cherenkov radiation produced in Extensive Air Showers shows a net polarization. This article discusses its properties and physical origin, and proposes an arrangement of polarizers potentially useful for Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes.
We discuss the potential of future sub-10 GeV threshold imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope arrays for exploring the physics of rotation powered pulsars and their interactions with the ambient medium through relativistic winds and termination shocks.
The gamma-ray energy region between 20 and 250 GeV is largely unexplored. Ground-based atmospheric Cherenkov detectors offer a possible way to explore this region, but large Cherenkov photon collection areas are needed to achieve low energy thresholds. This paper discusses the development of a Cherenkov detector using the heliostat mirrors of a solar power plant as the primary collector. As part of this development, we built a prototype detector consisting of four heliostat mirrors and used it to record atmospheric Cherenkov radiation produced in extensive air showers created by cosmic ray par…
The trajectory of a primary gamma-ray detected with an array of at least four atmospheric Cherenkov imaging telescopes can be reconstructed from the shower image centroid positions and geometrical considerations independent of the primary energy. Using only the image centroid positions some cosmic-ray discrimination is also possible. This minimal approach opens the possibility of pushing the analysis threshold to lower values, close to the hardware threshold.
In this exploratory simulation study, we compare the event-progenitor classification potential of a variety of measurable parameters of atmospheric Cherenkov pulses which are produced by ultra-high energy (UHE) gamma-ray and hadron progenitors and are likely to be recorded by the TACTIC array of atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The parameters derived from Cherenkov images include Hillas, fractal and wavelet moments, while those obtained from non-image Cherenkov data consist of pulse profile rise-time and base width and the relative ultraviolet to visible light content of the Cherenkov event. …
A calibrated laser pulse propagating through the atmosphere produces a flash of Rayleigh scattered light with an intensity that can be calculated very accurately when atmospheric conditions are good. This is used in a technique developed for the absolute calibration of ultra high energy cosmic ray fluorescence telescopes, and it can also be applied to imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs). In this paper we present the absolute calibration system being constructed and tested for the VERITAS project.
CANGAROO-III is an Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) array of four 10 m telescopes for very high energy (sub-TeV) gamma-ray astronomy. A design study of the CANGAROO-III telescope system was carried out using the Monte Carlo technique in order to optimize the pixel size and the telescope spacing. Studies were also made of observations at low elevation angles.
The Atmospheric Cherenkov Imaging Technique has opened up the gamma-ray spectrumfrom 100 GeV to 50 TeV to astrophysical exploration. The development of the technique is described as are the basic principles underlying its use. The current generation of arrays of telescopes is briefly described and the early results are summarized.
The Atmospheric Cherenkov Imaging Technique has opened up the gamma-ray spectrum from 100 GeV to 50 TeV to astrophysical exploration. The development of the technique (with emphasis on the early days) is described as are the basic principles underlying its application to gamma-ray astronomy. The current generation of arrays of telescopes, in particular, VERITAS is briefly described.
STACEE is a proposed atmospheric Cherenkov telescope for ground-based gamma-ray astrophysics between 25 and 500 GeV. The telescope will make use of the large solar mirrors (heliostats) available at a solar research facility to achieve an energy threshold lower than any existing ground-based instrument. This paper describes the development of STACEE, including an overview of the complete instrument design and a discussion of results from recent prototype tests at the large solar heliostat field of Sandia National Laboratories.
The atmosphere is an intrinsic part of any ground based Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope, and the telescope response is therefore sensitive to unpredictable changes in the atmospheric transparency which are difficult to measure and interpret in the absence of a calibrated beam of high energy gamma-rays. In this paper, we use the detector response to Cherenkov emission from cosmic ray initiated air showers to obtain a relative calibration for data obtained under different instrumental and atmospheric conditions as well as over a range of source angles to the Zenith. We show that such a relative ca…
We discuss the concept and the performance of a powerful future ground-based astronomical instrument - a stereoscopic array of several large imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes installed at a very high mountain elevation of about 5 km a.s.l. or more - for the study of the gamma-ray sky at energies from several GeV to 100 GeV.
There are currently no experiments, either satellite or ground-based, that are sensitive to astrophysical gamma-rays at energies between 20 and 250 GeV. We are developing the Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment (STACEE) to explore this energy range. STACEE will use heliostat mirrors at a solar research facility to collect Cherenkov light from extensive air showers produced by high energy gamma-rays. Here we report on the results of prototype test work at the solar facility of Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque, NM). The work demonstrates that the facility is suitable for…
The sensitivity of an Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov telescope is calibrated by shining, from a distant pulsed monochromatic light source, a defined photon flux onto the mirror. The light pulse is captured and reconstructed by the telescope in an identical fashion as real Cherenkov light. The intensity of the calibration light pulse is monitored via a calibrated sensor at the telescope; in order to account for the lower sensitivity of this sensor compared to the Cherenkov telescope, an attenuator is inserted in the light source between the measurements with the calibrated sensor, and with the t…
We present the analysis and results of 12.5 hours of high-energy gamma-ray observations of the EGRET-detected pulsar PSR B1951+32 using the Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment (STACEE). STACEE is an atmospheric Cherenkov detector, in Albuquerque, New Mexico, that detects cosmic gamma rays using the shower-front-sampling technique. STACEE's sensitivity to astrophysical sources at energies around 100 GeV allows it to investigate emission from gamma-ray pulsars with expected pulsed emission cutoffs below 100 GeV. We discuss the observations and analysis of STACEE's PSR 1951+32 dat…
Ground-based atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes are proven to be effective instruments for observations of very high energy (VHE) gamma-radiation from celestial objects. For effective use of such technique one needs detailed Monte Carlo simulations of gamma-ray- and proton/nuclei-induced air showers in Earth atmosphere. Here we discuss in detail the algorithms used in the numerical code ALTAI developed particularly for the simulations of Cherenkov light emission from air showers of energy below 50 TeV. The specific scheme of sampling the charged particle transport in the atmosphere allows the pe…
A new imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescope (CANGAROO-II) with a light-weight reflector has been constructed. Light, robust, and durable mirror facets of containing CFRP (Carbon Fiber Reinforced Plastic) laminates were developed for the telescope. The attitude of each facet can be adjusted by stepping motors. In this paper, we describe the design, manufacturing, alignment procedure, and the performance of the CANGAROO-II optical reflector system.
A recently proposed novel technique for the detection of cosmic rays with arrays of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes is applied to data from the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.). The method relies on the ground based detection of Cherenkov light emitted from the primary particle prior to its first interaction in the atmosphere. The charge of the primary particle (Z) can be estimated from the intensity of this light, since it is proportional to Z$^2$. Using H.E.S.S. data, an energy spectrum for cosmic-ray iron nuclei in the energy range 13--200 TeV is derived. The reconstructe…
High energy gamma-ray astronomy has been established during the last decade through the launch of the Compton Gamma Ray Observatory (CGRO) and the success of its ground-based counterpart, the imaging atmospheric Cherenkov technique. In the aftermath of their important and surprising scientific results a worldwide effort developing and designing new generation atmospheric Cherenkov detectors is underway. These novel instruments will have higher sensitivity at E > 250 GeV, but most importantly, will be able to close the unexplored energy gap between 20 GeV and 250 GeV. Several ground-based detec…
For stereoscopic systems of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs), a key parameter to optimize the sensitivity for VHE gamma-ray point sources is the intertelescope spacing. Using pairs of telescopes of the HEGRA IACT system, the sensitivity of two-telescope stereo IACT systems is studied as a function of the telescope spacing, ranging from 70 m to 140 m. Data taken during the 1997 outburst of Mrk 501 are used to evaluate both the detection rates before cuts, and the sensitivity for weak signals after cuts to optimize the significance of signals. Detection rates decrease by about 1/…
We present a new method of image cleaning for imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The method is based on the utilization of wavelets to identify noise pixels in images of gamma-ray and hadronic induced air showers. This method selects more signal pixels with Cherenkov photons than traditional image processing techniques. In addition, the method is equally efficient at rejecting pixels with noise alone. The inclusion of more signal pixels in an image of an air shower allows for a more accurate reconstruction, especially at lower gamma-ray energies that produce low levels of light. We pres…
The construction of the H.E.S.S. (High Energy Stereoscopic System), a superior system of four 12 m imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, has been completed recently in the Namib desert close to Windhoek, at 1800 m above sea level. This new generation of ground-based gamma-ray detectors has an energy threshold of about 100 GeV in observations at zenith and a sensitivity of about 1% Crab flux for a point-like gamma-ray source. Such high sensitivity was achieved due to 0.1 degree angular resolution, as well as, severe cosmic ray background rejection acquired from multi-fold imaging of individ…
Experiment on the study of fluctuation of night glow is conducted on the base of 13 module atmospheric Cherenkov telescope TUNKA-13.Basic task of TUNKA-13 is registration of light from Extended Air Shower (EAS) initiated by primary cosmic particles. Observation of light flashes radiating in nigght atmosphere is one more experiment which is run for TUNKA-13 to study the background condition for EAS registration. At a period from December 1997 on a May 1998 was registered 149 light flashes of radiwting night atmosphere with duration from 16 ms to 190 seconds. General time of night observing has …
Stereoscopic viewing of TeV gamma-ray air showers with systems of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) allows to reconstruct the origin of individual primary particles with an accuracy of 0.1 degree or better. The shower impact point can be determined within 15 meters. To actually achieve this resolution, the pointing of the telescopes of an IACT system needs to be controlled with high precision. For the HEGRA IACT system, a procedure to calibrate telescope pointing was established, using bright stars distributed over the sky as references. On the basis of these measurements, one d…
By means of third-order optical theory as well as ray-tracing simulations we have investigated the feasibility of wide-field imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes with a reflective prime-focus design. For a range of desired optical resolutions, we have determined the largest available field-of-view of single-piece spherical, single-piece parabolic, tessellated spherical, tessellated parabolic and Davies-Cotton designs, always considering a wide range of design parameters. The Davies-Cotton design exhibits a surprising similarity to the tessellated parabolic design in its qualitative behavio…
We present a method of atmospheric Cherenkov imaging which reconstructs the unique arrival direction of TeV gamma rays using a single telescope. The method is derived empirically and utilizes several features of gamma-ray induced air showers which determine, to a precision of 0.12 degrees, the arrival direction of photons, on an event-by-event basis. Data from the Whipple Observatory's 10 m gamma-ray telescope is utilized to test selection methods based on source location. The results compare these selection methods with traditional techniques and three different camera fields of view. The met…
Recent results from the Advanced Thin Ionization Calorimeter (ATIC) balloon experiment have identified the presence of a spectral feature between approximately 300 and 800 GeV in the cosmic ray electron spectrum. This spectral feature appears to imply the existence of a local (within about 1 kpc) source of high energy electrons. Emission from a local pulsar and dark matter annihilations have each been put forth as possible origins of this signal. In this letter, we consider the sensitivity of ground based atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes to electrons and show that observatories such as HESS an…
The paper describes an application of the tree classification method Random Forest (RF), as used in the analysis of data from the ground-based gamma telescope MAGIC. In such telescopes, cosmic gamma-rays are observed and have to be discriminated against a dominating background of hadronic cosmic-ray particles. We describe the application of RF for this gamma/hadron separation. The RF method often shows superior performance in comparison with traditional semi-empirical techniques. Critical issues of the method and its implementation are discussed. An application of the RF method for estimation …
H.E.S.S. -- the High Energy Stereoscopic System -- is a new system of large imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, with about 100 m^2 mirror area for each of four telescopes, and photomultiplier cameras with a large field of view (5 degr.) and small pixels (0.16 degr.). The dish and reflector are designed to provide good imaging properties over the full field of view, combined with mechanical stability. The paper describes the design criteria and specifications of the system, and the individual components -- dish, mirrors, and Winston cones -- as well as their characteristics. The optical p…
The Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment (STACEE) is located at the National Solar Thermal Test Facility of Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. The field of solar tracking mirrors (heliostats) around a central receiver tower is used to direct Cherenkov light from atmospheric showers onto secondary mirrors on the tower, which in turn image the light onto cameras of photomultiplier tubes. The STACEE Collaboration has previously reported a detection of the Crab Nebula with approximately 7 standard deviation significance, using 32 heliostats (STACEE-32). Th…
Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) have resulted in a breakthrough in very-high energy (VHE) gamma-ray astrophysics. While early IACT installations faced the problem of detecting any sources at all, current instruments are able to see many sources, often over more than two orders of magnitude in energy. As instruments and analysis methods have matured, the requirements for calibration and modelling of physical and instrumental effects have increased. In this article, a set of Monte Carlo simulation tools is described that attempts to include all relevant effects for IACTs in grea…
In the 1970s, the Narrabri intensity interferometer was used to measure 32 stellar diameters; some as small as 0.4 milli-arc-seconds (mas). The interferometer consisted of a pair of 6.5m telescopes with relatively crude optics, similar to those currently in use as Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (ACT). We explore the possibility of implementing a modern intensity interferometer on an ACT array. Developments in fast digital signal processing technology now make such a system relatively easy to implement, and provide improved sensitivity. Allowing measurements at short wavelength (<400nm), with…
A Cherenkov imaging camera for the CANGAROO-III experiment has been developed for observations of gamma-ray induced air-showers at energies from 10$^{11}$ to 10$^{14}$ eV. The camera consists of 427 pixels, arranged in a hexagonal shape at 0.17$^\circ$ intervals, each of which is a 3/4-inch diameter photomultiplier module with a Winston-cone--shaped light guide. The camera was designed to have a large dynamic range of signal linearity, a wider field of view, and an improvement in photon collection efficiency compared with the CANGAROO-II camera. The camera, and a number of the calibration expe…
At present the ground-based Very High Energy (VHE) gamma-ray astronomy is racing to complete construction of a number of modern gamma-ray detectors, i.e. CANGAROO III, MAGIC, H.E.S.S., and VERITAS. They should be fully operational in a year's time. After much debate, the further development of this gamma-ray astronomy in the foreseeable future must be widely anticipated to proceed with the designing and building of a new instrumentation, which is primarily intended for the further drastic reduction of the energy threshold in gamma-ray observations down to about 10 GeV. On the ground one can ha…
The level of the night sky background light at La Palma and Namibia was determined, with emphasis on the wavelength region and solid angle coverage relevant for the operation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes. The dependence of the night sky background light both on celestial coordinates (alt, az) and on galactic coordinates (b, l) was measured, with an angular resolution of about 1 degr. Average light levels near the zenith are similar in both locations -- 2.2 x 10^12 to 2.6 x 10^12 photons per sr s m^2 for 300 nm < lambda < 650 nm. With increasing zenith angle the level of backgrou…
The dominant background for observations of gamma-rays in the energy region above 50 GeV with Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes are cosmic-ray events. The images of most of the cosmic ray showers look significantly different from those of gamma-rays and are therefore easily discriminated. However, a small fraction of events seems to be indistinguishable from gamma-rays. This constitutes an irreducible background to the observation of high-energy gamma-ray sources, and limits the sensitivity achievable with a given instrument. Here, a Monte Carlo study of gamma-like cosmic-ray events is …
Mirror facets of the H.E.S.S. imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes are aligned using stars imaged onto the closed lid of the PMT camera, viewed by a CCD camera. The alignment procedure works reliably and includes the automatic analysis of CCD images and control of the facet alignment actuators. On-axis, 80% of the reflected light is contained in a circle of less than 1 mrad diameter. The spot widens with increasing angle to the telescope axis. In accordance with simulations, the spot size has roughly doubled at an angle of 1.4 degr. from the axis. The expected variation of spot size with e…
The Very High Energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission of the closest BL Lacertae objects Markarian 501 and Markarian 421 has been observed by the CAT telescope in 1997 and 1998. In 1997 Mrk 501 exhibited a remarkable series of flares, with a VHE emission peaking above 250 GeV. The source showed correlated emissions in the X-ray and VHE gamma-ray bands, together with intensity-spectral hardness correlation in the latter energy range. During small flares in 1998, Mrk 421 became the second extragalactic source detected by CAT. Its spectral properties are compared to those of Mrk 501. Theoretical implicat…
A new primary mass independent method of energy measurement has been developed by exploiting: a) the joint analysis of the shower size, obtained by EAS-TOP, and of the EAS atmospheric Cherenkov light lateral distribution, obtained by the QUEST array, and b) simulations based on the CORSIKA/QGSJET code. The method is based on the correlation between the size/energy ratio and the steepness of Cherenkov light lateral distribution and has been compared with a "classical" one based on the Cherenkov light flux at a fixed distance (175 m) from the EAS core. An absolute energy calibration of the EAS a…
The sensitivity of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) in TeV gamma-ray observations reachs its maximum at small zenith angles (< 30 degree) which provide the minimum attainable energy threshold of an instrument. However, for a specific telescope site a number of gamma-ray sources, or source candidates, can only be observed at much larger zenith angles (< 60 degree). Moreover the observations at large zenith angles allow to extend the observation time window for any object seen at small zenith angles, as well as to enlarge the dynamic energy range of an instrument towards the high…
A simple analysis technique is described which allows to intercalibrate the response of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes in stereoscopic telescope arrays at a level of 1-2%.
Many of the recently discovered galactic very high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray sources are associated with Pulsar Wind Nebulae, which is the most populous Galactic source category at TeV energies. The extended synchrotron nebulae of these objects observed in the X-ray band are a hallmark of the relativistic winds, generated by the young, energetic neutron stars, that interact with the matter ejected by the supernova explosion and the surrounding interstellar gas. Relativistic electrons, or protons, accelerated in the pulsar winds, or at their shock boundaries, interact with the magnetic field and l…
A simple 3D-reconstruction method for gamma-ray induced air showers is presented, which takes full advantage of the assets of a system of Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes combining stereoscopy and fine-grain imaging like the High Energy Stereoscopic System (H.E.S.S.). The rich information collected by the cameras allows to select electromagnetic showers on the basis of their rotational symmetry with respect to the incident direction, as well as of their relatively small lateral spread. In the framework of a 3D-model of the shower, its main parameters -- incident direction, shower core position…
The Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment (STACEE) is a new ground-based atmospheric Cherenkov telescope for gamma-ray astronomy. STACEE uses the large mirror area of a solar heliostat facility to achieve a low energy threshold. A prototype experiment which uses 32 heliostat mirrors with a total mirror area of ~ 1200\unit{m^2} has been constructed. This prototype, called STACEE-32, was used to search for high energy gamma-ray emission from the Crab Nebula and Pulsar. Observations taken between November 1998 and February 1999 yield a strong statistical excess of gamma-like events …
We suggest a new approach to study the cosmis ray (CR) mass composition in the energy region from 30 TeV/nucleus up to the "knee" region, i.e. up to a few PeV/nucleus, using an array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) of a special architecture. This array consists of telescopes with a relatively small mirror size (~10 square meters) separated from each other by large distances (~500 meters) and equipped by multichannel cameras with a modest pixel size (0.3-0.5 degree) and a sufficiently large viewing angle (6-7 degree). Compared to traditional IACT systems (like HEGRA, HESS or…
This work summarizes the results presented at 29th International Cosmic Ray Conference in Pune India. Generally the aim of this work is to obtain the lateral distribution of the atmospheric Cherenkov light in extensive air showers produced by different primary particles in wide energy range and at several observation levels and to fit the obtained lateral distributions. Using one large detector and partially modified CORSIKA code version are obtained the lateral distributions of Cherenkov light flux densities at several observation levels for different particle primaries precisely at 536 g/cm2…
In this paper we present a new method for ground based gamma ray astronomy based only on atmospheric Cherenkov light flux analysis. The Cherenkov light flux densities in extensive air showers (EAS) initiated by different primaries are simulated, precisely primary protons in the energy range 100 GeV – 100 PeV, primary gamma quanta in the energy range 10 GeV – 10 PeV and primary iron nuclei in the energy range 10 TeV –100 PeV using the CORSIKA 6 code at high mountain observation level of 536 g/cm2. An approximation of lateral distribution of Cherenkov light in extensive air sho…
We present a compilation of data on the 22 tentatively identified gamma-ray sources from the Third EGRET Catalog which may be detected by the next-generation imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes.
During 1997, the BL Lac Object Mkn 501 was the brightest known object in the TeV gamma-ray sky. The emission was characterized by dramatic variations in intensity with a mean flux exceeding by a factor of three the steady gamma-ray flux of the Crab Nebula. The stereoscopic HEGRA system of 4 Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes, with an energy threshold of about 500 GeV, an angular resolution of 0.1 degree, an energy resolution of 20%, and a flux sensitivity nu F_nu at 1 TeV of 1E-11 ergs/cm^2 sec (approximately 1/4 Crab) for 1 hour of observation time (S/sqrt(B) = 5 sigma), has been used i…
Ground-based arrays of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes have emerged as the most sensitive gamma-ray detectors in the energy range of about 100 GeV and above. The strengths of these arrays are a very large effective collection area on the order of 100,000 square meter, combined with excellent single photon angular and energy resolutions. The sensitivity of such detectors is limited by statistical fluctuations in the number of Cosmic Ray initiated air showers that resemble gamma-ray air showers in many ways. In this paper, we study the performance of simple event reconstruction methods …
We propose Fourier transform (FT) method for processing images of extensive air showers (EAS) detected by imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACT) used in the very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray astronomy. The method is based on the discrete Fourier transforms (DFT) on compact Lie groups, and the use of continuous extension of the inverse discrete transforms to approximate the discrete EAS images by continuous EAS brightness distribution functions. Here we describe the FT-method in case of SU(3) group. It allows practical realization of the DFT technique for functions sampled on hexagonal …
The HEGRA system of 4 Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) has been used to determine the flux and the spectrum of cosmic ray protons over a limited energy range around 1.5 TeV. Although the IACT system is designed for the detection of gamma-rays with energies above 500 GeV, it has also a large detection area of $ \simeq 10^6 m^2 \cdot 3 msr$ for primary protons of energies above 1 TeV and the capability to reconstruct the primary proton energy with a reasonable accuracy $Δ$E/E of 50% near this threshold. Furthermore, the principle of stereoscopic detection of air showers permits t…
GAW, acronym for Gamma Air Watch, is a Research and Development experiment in the TeV range, whose main goal is to explore the feasibility of large field of view Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes. GAW is an array of three relatively small telescopes (2.13 m diameter) which differs from the existing and presently planned projects in two main features: the adoption of a refractive optics system as light collector and the use of single photoelectron counting as detector working mode. The optics system allows to achieve a large field of view (24x24 squared degrees) suitable for surveys of l…
The HEGRA system of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) detects Cherenkov light produced by air showers. The concept of stereoscopic observation with the five HEGRA telescopes allows the reconstruction of various shower parameters, for example the shower direction, the location of the shower core and the energy of cosmic rays. One of the telescopes was modified so that measurements of the spectrum and the polarization of Cherenkov light with the HEGRA system were possible. The experimental setup is described and preliminary results presented.
High resolution N-body simulations have revealed the survival of considerable substructure within galactic halos. Assuming that the predicted dark matter clumps are composed of annihilating neutralinos, we examine their detectability via Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (ACTs). Depending on their density profile, individual neutralino clumps should be observable via their gamma-ray continuum and line emissions. We find that the continuum signal is the most promising signal for detecting a neutralino clump, being significantly stronger than the monochromatic signals. Limits from the line detect…
We describe the design and performance of the Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment detector in its initial configuration (STACEE-32). STACEE is a new ground-based gamma ray detector using the atmospheric Cherenkov technique. In STACEE, the heliostats of a solar energy research array are used to collect and focus the Cherenkov photons produced in gamma-ray induced air showers. The large Cherenkov photon collection area of STACEE results in a gamma-ray energy threshold below that of previous detectors.
The stereoscopic reconstruction of air showers viewed by multiple imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) allows a more precise reconstruction of shower energies and hence an improved determination of energy spectra. Reconstruction techniques and in particular new systematic checks are discussed on the basis of the large sample of gamma-rays from Mkn 501 detected with the HEGRA IACT system. (Talk presented at the Workshop ``Towards a Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Detector V'', Kruger Park, South Africa, 1997)
The Solar Tower Atmospheric Cherenkov Effect Experiment (STACEE) is a telescope designed to explore the gamma-ray sky between 20 and 250 GeV using the atmospheric Cherenkov technique. STACEE is currently under construction. When completed, it will use 48 large heliostat mirrors at the solar research facility at Sandia National Laboratories (Albuquerque, NM) to reflect Cherenkov light created in gamma-ray air showers to secondary mirrors on a central tower. The secondary mirrors image this light onto photomultiplier tube cameras. This paper provides an overview of the STACEE project, including …
GAW, acronym for Gamma Air Watch, is a path-finder experiment to test the feasibility of a new generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes that join high flux sensitivity with large field of view capability. GAW is conceived as an array of three identical imaging telescopes disposed at the vertexes of an equilateral triangle, about 80 m side. Two main features characterize GAW with respect to all the existing and presently planned ground-based Cherenkov telescopes. The first difference concerns the optics system: GAW uses a Fresnel refractive lens (2.13 m diameter) as light collecto…
