On the potential of the imaging atmospheric Cherenkov technique for study of cosmic gamma rays in the energy range 10-100 TeV

Abstract

We suggest a new approach for the study of cosmic -rays in the energy region from several TeV to 100 TeV using an array consisting of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) of relatively small mirror size of about 5-10 m2, but equipped with large, up to 8° cameras with modest pixel size of about 0.3 - 0.5°. The large field of view of these telescopes would allow the detection of air showers initiated by primary 10 TeV -rays from distances up to 500 m or more. The recommended distance between the telescopes varies from 300 to 500 m, and thus an array consisting of several such IACTs could provide huge, up to 1 km2, detection area for ultrahigh-energy -rays. Detailed Monte Carlo simulations performed for a system consisting of 4 IACTs, which could be considered as a cell for a future powerful, 10 TeV threshold, multi-telescope array, show that such detector could provide an effective /hadron separation, a superior angular resolution of about a few arcminutes, and a good energy resolution of about ~20%.