Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope Research Articles

An Approach to Gamma-Hadron Separation via Measurements of the Middle-UV Fraction of EAS emission by an Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope with UV-Sensitive SiPM detectors

Abstract The operation of a small-size Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope TAIGA-IACT with camera on SiPMs OnSemi MicroFJ-60035 has been modelled by multiparticle Monte Carlo (MC) methods. The model implies that telescope camera is equipped with two specific types of filters of 290 - 590 nm (visible+NUV) and 220 - 320 nm (MUV+UVB)-bands, each covering half of the camera pixels in some uniform order. This allows one to measure the fraction of UV-radiation in total amount of Cherenkov radiation of an extensive air shower (EAS), that can be used for efficient gamma-hadron separation. The corresponding quality factor takes values up to 5.07 in the 10 - 100 TeV range depending on the distance to EAS axis and camera orientation.

Modeling of Optical Concentrators for the Upgraded Camera of the TAIGA-IACT Cherenkov Gamma-Ray Telescope

Modeling of Optical Concentrators for the Upgraded Camera of the TAIGA-IACT Cherenkov Gamma-Ray Telescope

Modeling of optical concentrators for the upgraded camera of the TAIGA-IACT Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope

A quantitative simulation of a system of optical concentrators based on Winston's hexagonal cones, intended for the registration camera of the TAIGA-IACT Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope, has been performed. The data on the transmission of the cones are obtained; the distributions of the photon flux intensity in the plane of the detector are given. On the basis of the results obtained, an optimal configuration of optical concentrators is proposed, taking into account the design features of the mount, mirror and TAIGA-IACT camera, as well as the features of its new detector units. Keywords: Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope, TAIGA-IACT, Winston cone, numerical simulation.

Update on the characterisation of the pGCT, a prototype of 4m dual-mirror Cherenkov Telescope

The Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope prototype (pGCT) is a prototype of an Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope, developed as Small-Sized Telescope (SST) of 4m during the preparation of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). Based on a Schwarzschild-Couder dual-mirror optical design aiming to provide an optimised Point Spread Function (PSF) on a wide field, it had its first Cherenkov light on the Meudon site of the Observatoire de Paris in 2015. Since the decision of CTA to harmonize its future SSTs, the pGCT instrument and the experience gained with its development are now used by the Observatoire de Paris team to provide a test bench for Cherenkov astronomy and a pedagogical tool for educational purposes in Meudon. This paper briefly describes the design of the pGCT and presents the latest advances in the optics of the prototype and its characterisation, directly related to the implementation of new high-quality metallic mirrors carried out since 2020.

Measurement of the photon detection efficiency of silicon photomultipliers for the new detector cluster of the Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope TAIGA-IACT equipped with UV filters

This study was devoted to measurements of the UV-range photon detection efficiency (PDE) of OnSemi MicroFJ SiPM detectors use together with custom UV filters and of the transmission coefficient of these filters at 277 nm. The final goal of these measurements was to determine feasibility of the filters for the new detector cluster of the TAIGA-IACT telescope. PicoQuant PLS-270 UV source emitting pulses at 277 nm was calibrated. The obtained dependences of the registered radiation power on the distance between the emission source and the reference detector are well approximated by the inverse square function, hence no significant scattering or absorption influenced the PDE measurements. The dependences of the number of detected photons on the distance between the source and the detector were obtained. These dependencies are also well approximated by the inverse square function. The PDE of SiPM MicroFJ-60035 detector was measured at the level of 10.0 ± 0.7%. The transmission coefficients of the considered set of filters at the wavelength of 277 nm were also obtained. The SL 240-300 filter has a sufficiently high transmission coefficient and it is advisable to use it as a bandpass ultraviolet filter in the new detector cluster of the TAIGA-IACT telescope; the SL 290-590 filter absorbs ultraviolet light quite well and is applicable in the visible range.

Development of detector pixels based on silicon photomultipliers for the Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope TAIGA-IACT

The design and scheme of signal readout from silicon photomultipliers OnSemi MicroFJ-60035 used as sensitive elements (pixels) of a new detector cluster for the camera of the Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope TAIGA-IACT are developed. The design of the developed pixel follows the shape of the photomultiplier tube XP1911 using in the first generation clusters, and that provides compatibility of the new cluster with the telescope camera. Due to the adjustable gain, the developed scheme allows one to detect and digitize signals in a wide dynamic range from several to 10 000 photons.

Температурная зависимость чувствительности кремниевых фотоумножителей в режиме пофотонной регистрации ультрафиолетового излучения

In the context of the development of a new detecting camera for the Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope TAIGA-IACT, the temperature dependences of the dark count rate and the efficiency of ultraviolet photon detection of two silicon avalanche photodetectors: OnSemi / SensL MicroFJ-60035 and Hamamatsu VUV4 S13371-6050CQ-02 at a wavelength of 277 nm were experimentally investigated. It is shown that the main characteristics of these detectors correspond to those declared by the manufacturers. Front-end readout electronics was developed and tested. Conclusions are drawn about the applicability of such detectors in the detecting cameras of Cherenkov gamma-ray telescopes.

Моделирование оптических концентраторов для модернизированной камеры черенковского гамма-телескопа TAIGA-IACT

A quantitative simulation of a system of optical concentrators based on Winston's hexagonal cones, intended for the registration camera of the TAIGA-IACT Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope, has been performed. The data on the transmission of the cones are obtained; the distributions of the photon flux intensity in the plane of the detector are given. On the basis of the results obtained, an optimal configuration of optical concentrators is proposed, taking into account the design features of the mount, mirror and TAIGA-IACT camera, as well as the features of its new detector units.

The Application Potential of Silicon Photomultipliers for a Camera of a Small-Size Cherenkov Gamma-Ray Telescope for Reducing the Detection Threshold

The Application Potential of Silicon Photomultipliers for a Camera of a Small-Size Cherenkov Gamma-Ray Telescope for Reducing the Detection Threshold

Modelling of SiPM Performance for Detection of Cherenkov Radiation from Extensive Air Showers in UV and Visible Ranges for Application at the TAIGA-IACT Telescope

Abstract A novel cluster of sensitive detectors based on silicon photomultipliers (SiPM) is being developed for the Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope TAIGA-IACT (Tunka valley, Republic of Buryatia, Russia). The cluster will be able to detect Cherenkov radiation from extensive air showers in two wide bands: 250–300 nm (UV) and 250–700 nm (visible and UV). Each pixel consists of a Winston cone, 4 SiPMs with the total sensitive area of 144 mm2, and readout electronics based on fast analogue memory. During operation in the UV band, a UV-bandpass filter is used to suppress cluster sensitivity in the visible range. In order to evaluate the detection efficiency of the selected SiPMs, a specific software simulator of SiPM output signal has been developed. This simulator takes into account such inherent parameters of SiPMs as total number of microcells, their recharge time, the dark count rate, the effective detection area, the quantum efficiency, the crosstalk between microcells, as well as conditions of SiPM operation, namely, the background noise and the Ohmic load in the readout (front-end) electronics. With this simulator it is possible to determine the expected trigger threshold under given conditions and parameters of selected detectors. Based on preliminary simulations, OnSemi MicroFJ-60035 SiPM chips have been chosen for the novel cluster of TAIGA-IACT. These SiPMs have sensible efficiency in the ultraviolet range (5–20% in the 250–300 nm band) and are distinguished by the presence of a fast output, which allows one to capture a low amplitude signal above a relatively high background noise.

Перспектива использования кремниевых фотоумножителей в детекторной камере малоразмерного черенковского гамма-телескопа для снижения порога регистрации космического излучения

We have modeled propagation of source signal and noise for a future camera of TAIGA-IACT Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope, which will be based on silicon photomultipliers sensitive in the 240 -- 600 nm range. It has been shown that employment of such detectors instead of traditional vacuum photomultipliers will allow one to decrease the energy threshold by a factor of about 2.5: from ~ 1.5 TeV down to ~ 0.6 TeV. We have also shown that application of a standard ultraviolet filter ZWB3 will decrease the source signal by a factor of 3, while the noise signal from the night sky will be decreased by a factor of 6. In this way the duty cycle of the telescope can be extended (the telescope will be able to operate during moonlit nights and during twilight) and the energy threshold further decreased down to ~ 0.3 TeV. A narrow 260 -- 300 nm filter can be employed to improve gamma-hadron separation of primary cosmic particles in the ~ 25 -- 50 TeV band.

Detection of UV Radiation from Extensive Air Showers: Prospects for Cherenkov Gamma-Ray Astronomy

Cherenkov emission of extensive air showers (EAS) from cosmic gamma rays and cosmic-ray protons has been modelled. Spectral density of such emission in the 240–700 nm band has been determined for 3 GeV–10 TeV primaries of both sorts. It has been shown that the ratio of EAS Cherenkov emission fluxes in the optical and ultraviolet (UV) bands substantially depends on the sort of the primary, so the ratio can be employed to select gamma-ray events from the background produced by cosmic rays. Detection of EAS Cherenkov emission with specialized silicon photomultipliers sensitive in the UV band would allow one to substantially extend the duty cycle of a Cherenkov gamma-ray telescope, as it would be possible to observe the showers during moonlit nights. The UV-sensitive silicon photomultipliers developed at the Ioffe Institute would allow to detect gamma-ray-induced EAS at the Cherenkov gamma-ray observatory ALEGRO over a threshold of about 40 GeV at 5 km above sea level and about 80 GeV at 2 km above sea level.

AGN at very high energies: Cosmic accelerators and probes of space-time

During the last decade, very high energy astrophysics emerged as a new branch of astronomy with major discoveries achieved by the present ground-based gamma-ray Cherenkov telescopes. The sample of cosmic sources firmly detected at very high energy (VHE) now exceeds two hundred objects, including active galactic nuclei (AGN), pulsar wind nebulae, and several other types of sources of which a significant number are unidentified ones. The scientific return from recent VHE data is particularly interesting for AGN science, shedding new light on particle acceleration and emission processes around supermassive black holes, and probing the intergalactic space by the analysis of VHE photons propagating from bright remote sources to the Earth. The perspectives of this research field are promising with new generation VHE instruments such as CTA, a project of open observatory at extreme energies at the horizon 2023, allowing a deep analysis of the sky in the highest part of the electromagnetic spectrum, from 20 GeV to 300 TeV.

Cherenkov gamma-ray telescopes: Past, present, future. The ALEGRO project

A brief overview of the history of atmospheric Cherenkov gamma-ray telescopes is given. Topical problems of modern astrophysics and fundamental physics to be solved with these instruments are listed. The ALEGRO project of a low-threshold gamma-ray observatory is characterized in detail. The aim of this project is to examine cosmic gamma-ray sources (especially the rapidly variable gamma-ray sources, gamma-ray transients) with high statistics of detected photons in the energy range of 5–50 GeV.

Simulating the optical performance of a small-sized telescope with secondary optics for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

The Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT) is a small-sized telescope (SST) that represents one of three novel designs that are based on Schwarzschild–Couder optics and are proposed for use within the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA). The GAmma-ray Telescope Elements (GATE) program has led an effort to build a prototype of the GCT at the Paris Observatory in Meudon, France. The mechanical structure of the prototype, known as the SST-GATE prototype telescope, is now complete along with the successful installation of the camera. We present the results of extensive simulation work to determine the optical performance of the SST-GATE prototype telescope. Using the ROBAST software and assuming an ideal optical system, we find the radius of the encircled point spread function (θ80) of the SST-GATE to be ∼1.3 arcmin (∼0.02°) for an on-axis (θfield=0∘) observation and ∼3.6 arcmin (∼0.06°) for an observation at the edge of the field of view (θfield=4.4∘). In addition, this research highlights the shadowing that results from the stopping of light rays by various telescope components such as the support masts and trusses. It is shown that for on-axis observations the effective collection area decreases by approximately 1 m2 as a result of shadowing components other than the secondary mirror. This is a similar loss (∼11%) to that seen with the current generation of conventional Davies–Cotton (DC) Cherenkov telescopes. An extensive random tolerance analysis was also performed and it was found that certain parameters, especially the secondary mirror z-position and the tip and tilt rotations of the mirrors, are critical in order to contain θ80 within the pixel limit radius for all field angles. In addition, we have studied the impact upon the optical performance of introducing a hole in the center of the secondary mirror for use with pointing and alignment instruments. We find that a small circular area (radius < 150 mm) at the center of the secondary mirror can be used for instrumentation without any significant impact upon optical performance. Finally, we studied the impact of reducing the size of the primary mirror for the prototype telescope and found that this comes at the cost of poorer image quality and light collection efficiency for all field angles, but at a significant cost saving for a one-off prototype.

Operating performance of the gamma-ray Cherenkov telescope: An end-to-end Schwarzschild–Couder telescope prototype for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) consortium aims to build the next-generation ground-based very-high-energy gamma-ray observatory. The array will feature different sizes of telescopes allowing it to cover a wide gamma-ray energy band from about 20GeV to above 100TeV. The highest energies, above 5TeV, will be covered by a large number of Small-Sized Telescopes (SSTs) with a field-of-view of around 9°. The Gamma-ray Cherenkov Telescope (GCT), based on Schwarzschild–Couder dual-mirror optics, is one of the three proposed SST designs. The GCT is described in this contribution and the first images of Cherenkov showers obtained using the telescope and its camera are presented. These were obtained in November 2015 in Meudon, 2http://www.cta-observatory.orgFrance.

Design constraints on Cherenkov telescopes with Davies–Cotton reflectors

This paper discusses the construction of high-performance ground-based gamma-ray Cherenkov telescopes with a Davies–Cotton reflector. For the design of such telescopes, usually physics constrains the field-of-view, while the photo-sensor size is defined by limited options. Including the effect of light-concentrators, it is demonstrated that these constraints are enough to mutually constrain all other design parameters. The dependability of the various design parameters naturally arises once a relationship between the value of the point-spread functions at the edge of the field-of-view and the pixel field-of-view is introduced. To be able to include this constraint into a system of equations, an analytical description for the point-spread function of a tessellated Davies–Cotton reflector is derived from Taylor developments and ray-tracing simulations. Including higher order terms renders the result precise on the percent level.Design curves are provided within the typical phase space of Cherenkov telescopes. The impact of all design parameters on the overall design is discussed. Allowing an immediate comparison of several options with identical physics performance allows the determination of the most cost efficient solution. Emphasis is given on the possible application of solid light concentrators with their typically about two times better concentration compared with hollow cones which allows the use of small photo sensors such as Geiger-mode avalanche photo diodes. This is discussed in more details in the context of possible design options for the Cherenkov Telescope Array. In particular, a solution for a 60mm2 photo sensor with hollow cone is compared to a 36mm2 with solid cone.

High zenith angle observations of PKS 2155-304 with the MAGIC-I telescope

The high frequency peaked BL Lac PKS 2155-304 with a redshift of z=0.116 was discovered in 1997 in the very high energy (VHE, E >100GeV) gamma-ray range by the University of Durham Mark VI gamma-ray Cherenkov telescope in Australia with a flux corresponding to 20% of the Crab Nebula flux. It was later observed and detected with high significance by the Southern Cherenkov observatory H.E.S.S. Detection from the Northern hemisphere is difficult due to challenging observation conditions under large zenith angles. In July 2006, the H.E.S.S. collaboration reported an extraordinary outburst of VHE gamma-emission. During the outburst, the VHE gamma-ray emission was found to be variable on the time scales of minutes and with a mean flux of ~7 times the flux observed from the Crab Nebula. Follow-up observations with the MAGIC-I standalone Cherenkov telescope were triggered by this extraordinary outburst and PKS 2155-304 was observed between 28 July to 2 August 2006 for 15 hours at large zenith angles. Here we present our studies on the behavior of the source after its extraordinary flare and an enhanced analysis method for data taken at high zenith angles. We developed improved methods for event selection that led to a better background suppression. The averaged energy spectrum we derived has a spectral index of -3.5 +/- 0.2 above 400GeV, which is in good agreement with the spectral shape measured by H.E.S.S. during the major flare on MJD 53944. Furthermore, we present the spectral energy distribution modeling of PKS 2155-304. With our observations we increased the duty cycle of the source extending the light curve derived by H.E.S.S. after the outburst. Finally, we find night-by-night variability with a maximal amplitude of a factor three to four and an intranight variability in one of the nights (MJD 53945) with a similar amplitude.

The HAWC observatory

The High Altitude Water Cherenkov (HAWC) observatory is a new very high energy water Cherenkov gamma ray telescope, now under construction at 4100m altitude at Sierra Negra, Mexico. Due to its increased altitude, larger surface area and improved design, HAWC will be about 15 times more sensitive than its predecessor, Milagro. With its wide field of view and high duty factor, HAWC will be an excellent instrument for the studies of diffuse gamma ray emission, the high energy spectra of Galactic gamma ray sources, and transient emission from extragalactic objects such as GRBs and AGN, as well as surveying a large fraction of the VHE sky.

Searching for Fast Optical Transients using a Veritas Cherenkov Telescope

AbstractAstronomical transients are intrinsically interesting objects to study. However, fast optical transients (μs time-scales) are a largely unexplored field of optical astronomy. Most optical observations use instruments that have integration times of the order of seconds and are thus unable to resolve fast transients. Current-generation atmospheric Cherenkov gamma-ray telescopes such as Veritas, which consists of four 12-m telescopes, have huge collecting areas, much larger than those of any existing optical telescopes. This paper outlines the benefits of using a Cherenkov telescope to detect optical transients, and the implementation of the Veritas Transient Detector (TRenDy), a dedicated multi-channel photometer based on field-programmable gate arrays which can be used on Veritas for such studies without interfering with gamma-ray observations.