Stereoscopic imaging of air showers with the first two HEGRA Cherenkov telescopes

Abstract

With systems of atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes, providing stereo images of air showers, the shower parameters, such as the direction, core location, and height of shower maximum can be determined event by event. Techniques for the reconstruction of air showers are introduced, and are demonstrated using data from the first two HEGRA Cherenkov telescopes. Applied to observations of the Crab nebula, a clear signal is observed; the angular distribution of the excess events is consistent with Monte Carlo simulations of the expected resolution.