A simulation of high-energy gamma-ray observations with imaging Cherenkov telescopes at high altitudes
| Autor: | A. Asahara, Hidetoshi Kubo, Masao Nakagiri, Ryusuke Ogasawara, Toru Tanimori, Tomonori Usuda, Masaki Mori, D. Nishida, Reiko Orito, K. Sakurazawa, George Kosugi, Satoshi Miyazaki, Yutaka Komiyama, Tadafumi Takata |
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| Rok vydání: | 2004 |
| Předmět: |
Physics
Physics::Instrumentation and Detectors Cherenkov detector Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena Astrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics Astronomy Astronomy and Astrophysics IACT Astrophysics Cherenkov Telescope Array law.invention Telescope Altitude Crab Nebula Pulsar law Astrophysics::Earth and Planetary Astrophysics Astrophysics::Galaxy Astrophysics Cherenkov radiation |
| Zdroj: | Astroparticle Physics. 21:381-405 |
| ISSN: | 0927-6505 |
| Popis: | The performance of a single gamma-ray telescope is discussed based on the Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Technique (IACTech) at high altitudes. Observations at a high altitude are quite suitable for the IACTech because the density of Cherenkov light caused by gamma-rays is several-times larger than at sea level. To observe gamma-ray pulsars at high altitude, a gamma-ray camera, designated CheSS (Cherenkov light detecting System on Subaru) based on the IACTech, has been developed for the Subaru infrared-optical telescope at an altitude of 4200 m. Using CheSS, the Crab nebula/pulsar was observed for three days in December 2001. From a comparison between the simulated and observed shower events, it was found that the night-sky background (N.S.B.) and muon showers have significant effects on the detection rate below 80 GeV in spite of the small field of view (FOV) of CheSS (0.75°). The simulated spectrum, which includes muon shower events, is consistent with the observed spectrum. Based on this study, the performance of a camera with a larger FOV of 3.0° is discussed. Although the effects of muon showers and the N.S.B. become serious, the simulation results indicate that an 8.2 m Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) with a FOV of 3.0° at an altitude of 4200 m could detect 15 GeV energy gamma-rays. |
| Databáze: | OpenAIRE |
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