Search

The paper presents the method for detecting exoplanets in the image archive obtained by telescopes of the MASTER Global Network since 2002. The unique archive represents homogeneous photometric data obtained over 20 years for the northern (MASTER-Amur, MASTER-Tunka, MASTER-Kislovodsk, M-ASTER-Tavrida, MASTER-IAC, MASTER-OAGH) and 11 years for the southern sky (MASTER-OAFA, MASTER-SAAO). Algorithm of gamma-ray burst error box observation on the MASTER wide-field telescopes make it possible to detect transit phenomena and find exoplanets in archival data. The article presents the results of a photometric analysis of the TESS exoplanet candidate TOI–3570.01. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In November 2020, the IceCube Neutrino Observatory registered a neutrino event with an energy of 150 TeV directed at the Cygnus Cocoon gamma-ray source. In the Carpet-2 experiment, as part of the Baksan Neutrino Observatory (BNO), a sharp increase in the flow of events with an energy above 300 TeV was recorded from the same direction within the angular accuracy of the events. This flux is 4 orders of magnitude higher than the expected intensity of gamma quanta of this energy region according to data in the region of less than 100 TeV. It was expected that such a powerful flare could be registered by the TAIGA-HiSCORE installation of the TAIGA astrophysical complex. We analyzed the events of the EAS recorded by the installation of TAIGA-HiSCORE for 18 h in October–November 2020 from the Cygnus Cocoon source. This article provides the upper limit of the expected excess flow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper is devoted to the modeling and analysis of data detected by the TAIGA-IACT installation in the stereo mode. Five Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACT) with a viewing angle of 9.6° are expected to be included in the installation. Today there are three telescopes spaced far apart (from 320 to 500 m) in the installation. The effective area of the installation is as large as 0.6 km2; therefore, it is possible to conduct statistically significant measurements of weak γ-ray sources in the energy range above 10 TeV over a reasonable observation time (300–400 h). The Monte Carlo procedure for simulating the hadrons and γ-rays detected by the telescopes is described as is the procedure for reconstructing the parameters of extensive air showers, such as the arrival direction of an event, the axis position, the depth of the maximum of shower development (Xmax), and the primary-particle energy. In order to solve the problem of γ-hadron separation, the criteria for selecting γ-rays detected in the stereo mode have been optimized and the effective area of the installation has been calculated. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The existence of high-energy astrophysical neutrinos has been unambiguously demonstrated, but their sources remain elusive. IceCube reported an association of a 290-TeV neutrino with a gamma-ray flare of TXS 0506 + 056, an active galactic nucleus with a compact radio jet pointing to us. Later, radio-bright blazars were shown to be associated with IceCube neutrino events with high statistical significance. These associations remained unconfirmed with the data of independent experiments. Here, we report on the detection of a rare neutrino event with the estimated energy of 224 ± 75 TeV from the direction of TXS 0506 + 056 by the new Baikal Gigaton Volume Detector (Baikal-GVD) in April 2021. This event is the highest energy cascade detected so far by the Baikal-GVD neutrino telescope from a direction below horizon. The result supports previous suggestions that radio blazars in general, and TXS 0506 + 056 in particular, are the sources of high-energy neutrinos, and opens up the cascade channel for the neutrino astronomy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The status of the TAIGA experiment (Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic-ray physics and Gamma-ray Astronomy) located in the Tunka Valley is presented. The paper presents mainly the tasks, developed approaches for their solution, and first results on high-energy gamma-ray astronomy (10 TeV and higher) obtained from a two- to three-year exposure. The current tasks of gamma-ray astronomy and plans for development of the installation are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers latest highlights in simultaneous and follow-up optical observations of high energy astrophysical phenomena by MASTER Global Robotic Net. Such extreme Universe sources includes gamma-ray bursts, gravitational wave events, detected by LIGO/Virgo, fast radio bursts, high energy neutrino sources and others. Some of the neutrinos detected by ground-based facilities owe their births to supermassive black holes – blazars, which are in a special anxious state with high statistical reliability. We discovered the effect of a rapid decrease in the brightness of the blazar PKS 0735+17 at the time of the multiple detection of the high-energy neutrino event IceCube-211208A. This decrease in brightness within several hours was detected with a high confidence (SNR 10) in comparison with a multi-day brightening state of the blazar, which was accompanied not only by a maximum increase in the average brightness, but also by an increase in the amplitude of its brightness fluctuations. Additionally, we analyzed all cases of successful observation of blazars around neutrino events and obtained statistically reliable indications of the relationship between neutrino events and optical activity of blazars in the doubled error box at the 4.2 level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deployment of the deep-sea neutrino telescope Baikal-GVD continues in Lake Baikal. By April 2022, ten telescope clusters, which include 2880 optical modules, were put into operation. One of the urgent tasks of the Baikal project is to study the possibility of increasing the detection efficiency of the detector based on the experience of its operation and the results obtained with other neutrino telescopes in recent years. In this paper, the authors consider a variant of optimizing the telescope configuration by installing an additional string of optical modules between the detector clusters (external string). An experimental version of the external garland was installed in Lake Baikal in April 2022. The paper presents the results from calculations of the efficiency of registration of neutrino events for a new setup configuration, the technical implementation of the system for recording and collecting data from the external garland, and the first results of its full-scale tests in Lake Baikal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baikal-GVD has recently published its first measurement of the diffuse astrophysical neutrino flux, performed using high-energy cascade-like events. We further explore the Baikal-GVD cascade data set collected in 2018–2022, with the aim to identify possible associations between the Baikal-GVD neutrinos and known astrophysical sources. We leverage the relatively high angular resolution of the Baikal-GVD neutrino telescope (2–3 deg.), made possible by the use of liquid water as the detection medium, enabling the study of astrophysical point sources even with cascade events. We estimate the telescope's sensitivity in the cascade channel for high-energy astrophysical sources and refine our analysis prescriptions using Monte-Carlo simulations. We primarily focus on cascades with energies exceeding 100 TeV, which we employ to search for correlation with radio-bright blazars. Although the currently limited neutrino sample size provides no statistically significant effects, our analysis suggests a number of possible associations with both extragalactic and Galactic sources. Specifically, we present an analysis of an observed triplet of neutrino candidate events in the Galactic plane, focusing on its potential connection with certain Galactic sources, and discuss the coincidence of cascades with several bright and flaring blazars. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The neutrino telescope Baikal-GVD is designed for search for high energy neutrinos whose sources are not yet reliably identified. It currently includes total of 3456 optical modules arranged on 96 strings, providing an effective volume of 0.6 km for cascades with energy above 1 PeV. We discuss the first results from the partially built experiment, which is currently the largest neutrino telescope in the Northern Hemisphere and still growing up. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Currently, the Baikal-GVD Deep Underwater Neutrino Telescope is being successfully deployed in Lake Baikal. It comprises 96 strings with 3456 optical modules. We present the status and plans for further deployment of the Baikal-GVD telescope and discuss the issues related to the development of the next-generation neutrino telescope in Lake Baikal. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of the long-term gradient magnetic measurements performed in the southwest part of Baikal as supplementing the experiment on deep-water monitoring of the electric field vertical component, can be applied to study the deep geoelectric section. Baikal cannot be approximated by a two-dimensional model in the region under study. Therefore, a three-dimensional geoelectric model of the lake and adjacent territories was constructed based on the existing geological and geophysical data. However, these data are insufficient for the region where our observations are carried out. Refinement of the section upper part based on the magnetic field gradients on long bases has been performed using the neural network inversion method. Then, proceeding from the obtained basic model, alternative models were developed, which reflect the known hypotheses about the structure of the deep part of the Baikal rift section: mantle diapir and asthenospheric upwelling. The phase differences between the base-averaged field gradient and the field itself at the base site, as well as the phase differences on the ends of this base, as the most noise-proof gradient functions, are calculated for them. Based on comparison of the experimental and model frequency curves, it is concluded that the mantle diapir model fits best the experimental data, at least, in the southwest part of the Baikal rift zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A scintillation experiment is a part of the TAIGA astrophysical complex located in the Tunka Valley, 50 km from Lake Baikal. It consists of the Tunka-Grande and TAIGA-Muon arrays. Its scientific program is devoted to the study of cosmic rays (CRs) and search for astrophysical gamma rays by detecting charged particles (electrons and muons) of extensive air showers (EASs). We present the current status of the scintillation experiment, methods of EAS and CR parameters' reconstruction, the main results obtained by the Tunka-Grande array and our scientific program for the future. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents the results of an analysis of observations of the Crab Nebula gamma-ray source with the first two atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes of the TAIGA (Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic ray physics and Gamma Astronomy) astrophysical complex in the stereo mode of observations. The article analyzed observational data from 2020 to 2021. Over 36 hours of observations, a signal was obtained at a statistical significance level of 5 and a spectrum of gamma rays was plotted in the energy range from 2 to 70 TeV. The paper describes a technique for gamma–hadron separation and reconstruction of detected gamma-rays energy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physical motivations and performance of the TAIGA (Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic ray physics and Gamma Astronomy) project are presented. The TAIGA observatory addresses ground-based gamma-ray astronomy at energies from a few TeV to several PeV, as well as cosmic ray physics from 100 TeV to several EeV and astroparticle physics. The pilot TAIGA-1 complex locates in the Tunka valley, km West from the southern tip of the lake Baikal. It includes integrated air Cherenkov TAIGA-HiSCORE array with 120 wide-angle optical stations distributed over on area 1.1 square kilometer about and three 4-m class Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes of the TAIGA-IACT array. The latter array has a shape of triangle with side lengths of about 300, 400 and 500 m. The integral sensitivity of the 1-km TAIGA-1 detector is about TeV cm s for detection of TeV gamma-rays in 300 hours of source observations. The combination of the wide-angle Cherenkov array and IACTs could offer a cost effective-way to build a large (up to 10 km ) array for very high energy gamma-ray astronomy. The reconstruction of a given EAS energy, incoming direction, and the core position, based on the TAIGA-HiSCORE data, allows one to increase the distance between the relatively expensive IACTs up to 600–800 m. These, together with the surface and underground electron/Muon detectors, will be used for selection of gamma-ray-induced EAS. Present status of the project, together with the current array description, the first experimental results and plans for the future are reported. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tunka-Grande scintillation array is described. Scientific results obtained over the first five years of its operation are presented. Prospects for studying cosmic rays in the 1016–1018 eV range of energies are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baikal-GVD is a 1 km3 scale neutrino telescope now under construction in Lake Baikal. The sensitive volume of the detector is currently around 0.5 km3. Muons form through the exchange of W-bosons in the interaction between muon- and partial tau-neutrinos near the telescope. The muons then propagate to great distances in the lake's water. Reconstructing their trajectory allows us to obtain the most accurate estimate of the direction of neutrinos at telescopes of this type. Angular resolution can be as good as 0.5° for fairly long muon tracks. The current state of affairs in analyzing track events at the Baikal-GVD is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An analysis is performed of the spectrum of gamma rays from the Crab Nebula in the 4–100 TeV range of energies, obtained using data from two Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes that are part of the TAIGA complex. A way of selecting and restoring the energy of gamma rays is described that includes a procedure for restoring the energy spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The status of the Baikal-GVD neutrino telescope under construction and its main scientific results are presented. The detector consists of 2916 optical sensors located at 81 vertical strings deep below the surface of Lake Baikal. Its geometric configuration is optimized for detecting neutrinos with energies above 100 TeV. Events from muon neutrinos were identified, the flux of which is consistent with the expectation for the flux of atmospheric neutrinos. The data obtained during the alerts of the ANTARES and IceCube telescopes were analyzed. Candidate events for high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin have been obtained. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper considers latest highlights in simultaneous and follow-up optical observations of high energy astrophysical phenomena by MASTER Global Robotic Net. Such extreme Universe sources includes gamma-ray bursts, gravitational wave events, detected by LIGO/Virgo, fast radio bursts, high energy neutrino sources and others. Some of the neutrinos detected by ground-based facilities owe their births to supermassive black holes – blazars, which are in a special anxious state with high statistical reliability. We discovered the effect of a rapid decrease in the brightness of the blazar PKS 0735+17 at the time of the multiple detection of the high-energy neutrino event IceCube-211208A. This decrease in brightness within several hours was detected with a high confidence (SNR 10) in comparison with a multi-day brightening state of the blazar, which was accompanied not only by a maximum increase in the average brightness, but also by an increase in the amplitude of its brightness fluctuations. Additionally, we analyzed all cases of successful observation of blazars around neutrino events and obtained statistically reliable indications of the relationship between neutrino events and optical activity of blazars in the doubled error box at the 4.2 level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The main goal of the Baikal-GVD deep-sea neutrino telescope is to detect high-energy neutrinos of astrophysical origin by reconstructing muon tracks or showers of particles generated in interactions of neutrino with water. Since 2020, Baikal-GVD has been monitoring IceCube telescope alerts about detecting neutrinos with energies of more than 100 TeV. This work presents results from searching for matches between Baikal-GVD events and IceCube neutrino alerts from September 2020 to April 2022. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The more correct recalculation from the measured Cherenkov light fluxes at distances of 200 (Q200) and 100 (Q100) m from the Extensive Air Shower (EAS) core to the energy of the primary particle has been developed using the results of M-C simulation by the CORSIKA code, assuming a light primary composition of cosmic rays. Using the new conversion expressions, a differential energy spectrum was obtained according to the data of the Tunka-133 array for 7 years of operation and the TAIGA-HiSCORE array for 2 years of operation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of the participation of the MASTER Global Robotic Network in the program to support the aLIGO (O1) and LIGO/Virgo (O2 and O3) gravitational-wave experiments in the electromagnetic channel. This study covers the first observing run O1 from September 2015 to January 2016, the second observing run O2 from November 2016 to August 2017 (only LIGO in January–July, joint LIGO/VIRGO (LVC) in August) and the third observing run O3 from April 2019 to April 2020. The main goal of these observations was to, for the first time in the history of astronomy, perform precise localization of gravitational-wave sources, which successfully resulted in the independent discovery of the kilonova using MASTER telescopes in the process of searching for the source of the GW170817 event. In many other events, dozens of optical transients unrelated to gravitational waves have been detected. Nevertheless, the experience of optical localization of gravitational waves is of exceptional importance for the development of a future successful strategy for the localization of gravitational wave events involving relativistic stars. In addition, objects detected in the analysis of huge areas in the sky, determined by the localization errors of the GW source, have been studied in particular detail by telescopes around the world. Objects such as supernovae, novae, active galactic nuclei, dwarf novae and other explosive phenomena in the Universe have been found and analyzed. More than 220 000 deg2 within the region of the most probable localization of a gravitational wave source have been explored by the MASTER Global Robotic Network. This paper reports on the observations of the MA-STER Global Robotic Network for all alert events from the O1, O2, and O3 observing runs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The long-term experiment for electromagnetic monitoring in Lake Baikal and the adjacent territory is underway. Within this experiment, long-period (36–200 days) variations in the vertical component of electric field are revealed in the water column, which are not caused by any internal sources, but show a close lagged relationship with slow variations in the solar X-ray emission, especially with Rieger variations. The variations in the electric field are interpreted as the manifestation of changeability of the current in the hydrospheric section of the Global Electric Circuit over the Baikal Rift due to the indirect influence of the solar X-ray radiation on the convective component of the current in the atmosphere through slow meteorological processes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on MASTER optical observations of an afterglow-like optical and X-ray transient AT2021lfa/ZTF21aayokph. We detected the initial steady brightening of the transient at 7σ confidence level. This allowed us to use smooth optical self-similar emission of GRBs model to constrain the explosion time to better than 14 min as well as to estimate its initial Lorentz factor Γ0 = 20 ± 10. Taking into consideration the low Γ0 and non-detection in gamma-rays, we classify this transient as the first failed GRB afterglow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We report on the earliest detection of the optical transient MASTER OT J123248.62-012924.5 coincident within the error box with the optical and X-ray transient AT2021lfa/ZTF21aayokph. In our images the brightness of the object rises monotonically with confidence. We interpret this transient as a gamma-ray burst (GRB) characterized by smooth optical self-similar (SOSS) emission, while the nondetection of gamma-ray emission at space observatories is interpreted in terms of the hypothesis of a "failed" GRB. Thus, this is the first detection of a nonmonotonic orphan burst. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—The vertical component of the electric field Ez in the water column can have an almost zero telluric component, which allows effective monitoring of other sources excited by processes in the hydrosphere itself and the conjugate geospheres—atmosphere and lithosphere. This idea underlies the deep-water experiment in Lake Baikal that has been carried out since 2003. It has been shown that it is possible to monitor the water transport with high accuracy; it is the first time that the Global Electric Circuit (GEC) current has been detected in the hydrosphere; and the effect and precursors of a strong earthquake have been recorded. In 2012, a new monitoring setup was installed, which improved the reliability of Ez measurements and provided measurements of macroscopic quantum nonlocal correlations that offer a unique opportunity to forecast random processes. The Ez measurements have been further elaborated, especially with respect to the nature of the GEC current variations. Measurements of nonlocal correlations have repeatedly demonstrated the possibility of forecasting dissipative processes with a large random component: solar activity, hydrothermodynamic activity in the active layer of Lake Baikal and strong earthquakes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High-energy cosmic-ray research via the detection of Cherenkov radiation from extensive air showers was begun in the Tunka valley (50 km to the west from the southern extremity of Lake Baikal) in the early 1990s. A series of large arrays combined into the TAIGA (Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic-ray physics and Gamma Astronomy) astrophysical facility and designed to study gamma rays and charged cosmic rays have been created in the elapsed time. Descriptions of the facility arrays and the main results obtained while investigating high-energy cosmic rays are presented. Plans for a further development of the astrophysical facility are discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutrino telescope Baikal-CVD is a deep-underwater Cherenkov detector of elementary particles of the 1-km3 scale, which has been developed beginning from 2016 in Lake Baikal. The telescope is assembled from separate blocks (clusters of optical modules), which makes it possible to perform scientific research even at early stages of its development. In the 2021 configuration, the detector contains eight clusters with 2304 optical modules in total and is the largest neutrino telescope in the Northern hemisphere. The design and main characteristics of the Baikal-GVD data acquisition system are described, the problems of deep-underwater engineering associated with the development of the detector are considered, and some physical results obtained on the facility are presented [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A study is made of the astroclimatic conditions for performing nighttime astrophysical observations on the territory of the Greater Altai region. Nighttime data from both the VIIRS radiometer of the Suomi NPP satellite platform and the AIRS hyperspectrometer of the Aqua satellite are used. Topographic and astroclimatic criteria show that the Chuya steppe region (Altai Republic, Russia) and the plateau of Lake Khubsugul (Aimak Khuvsgel, Mongolia) are best suited for the deployment a full-scale gamma astronomy experiment. Infrastructure considerations make the territory in the western part of the Chuya steppe preferable. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The differential energy spectrum of cosmic rays in the energy range of 3 × 1014–3 × 1018 eV and the corrected dependence of the mean depth of the maximum 〈Xmax〉 of an extensive air shower (EAS) inside the wide energy range of 1015–3 × 1017 eV have been obtained from the data of the Tunka-133 array for 7 years of operation (2009–2017) and the TAIGA-HiSCORE array for the 2019–2020 season of operation. At the extremely high energy, our results agree with the results of the Pierre Auger Observatory based on direct measurements of the maximum depth by the observation of fluorescent light from EAS. The recalculation from the 〈Xmax〉 to the parameter , which characterizes the average composition of the primary cosmic rays, is presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Baikal-GVD deep-water neutrino telescope of the cubic kilometer scale, focused on research in the field of astrophysics and particle physics, is being built in Lake Baikal. As of 2021, the effective volume of the detector reaches 0.4 km3 for cascades generated by high-energy astrophysical neutrinos. The paper describes the design and basic characteristics of the telescope data acquisition system, discusses some aspects of deep-water engineering related to the deployment of the detector, and presents selected results obtained with the partially complete detector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Baikal Gigaton Volume Detector (Baikal-GVD) is a km 3 -scale neutrino detector currently under construction in Lake Baikal, Russia. The detector consists of several thousand optical sensors arranged on vertical strings, with 36 sensors per string. The strings are grouped into clusters of 8 strings each. Each cluster can operate as a stand-alone neutrino detector. The detector layout is optimized for the measurement of astrophysical neutrinos with energies of ∼ 100 TeV and above. Events resulting from charged current interactions of muon (anti-)neutrinos will have a track-like topology in Baikal-GVD. A fast χ 2 -based reconstruction algorithm has been developed to reconstruct such track-like events. The algorithm has been applied to data collected in 2019 from the first five operational clusters of Baikal-GVD, resulting in observations of both downgoing atmospheric muons and upgoing atmospheric neutrinos. This serves as an important milestone towards experimental validation of the Baikal-GVD design. The analysis is limited to single-cluster data, favoring nearly-vertical tracks. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

TAIGA (Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic ray physics and Gamma Astronomy) Astrophysical complex is being developed for studies of gamma rays and charged cosmic rays in the energy range of 10 –10 eV. The complex is located in the Tunka Valley, about 50 km from Lake Baikal. In this report we present the experiment status and plans for study of high-energy cosmic-ray physics as well as main results reached by wide-angle TAIGA-HiSCORE and Tunka-133 Cherenkov arrays of the Astrophysical complex. Plans to study cosmic rays by means of other arrays of the complex, namely scintillation array Tunka-Grande and new TAIGA-muons array and system of IACT telescopes, are discussed too. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tunka Advanced Instrument for Gamma-ray and cosmic ray Astrophysics (TAIGA) is a hybrid experiment for the measurement of Extensive Air Showers (EAS) with good spectral resolution in the TeV to PeV energy range. In this domain, the long-sought Pevatrons can be detected. Currently the TAIGA detector complex combines a two wide angle shower front Cherenkov light sampling timing arrays (HiSCORE and Tunka-133), two 4 m class, 10 aperture Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) and 240 m surface and underground charged particle detector stations. Our goal is to introduce a new hybrid reconstruction technique, combining the good angular and shower core resolution of HiSCORE with the gamma-hadron separation power of imaging air Cherenkov telescopes. This approach allows to maximize the effective area and simultaneously to reach a good gamma-hadron separation at low energies (few teraelectronvolts). At higher energies, muon detectors are planned to enhance gamma-hadron separation. During the commissioning phase of the first and second IACT, several sources were observed. First detections of known sources with the first telescope show the functionality of the TAIGA IACTs. Here, the status of the TAIGA experiment will be presented, along with first results from the current configuration. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A wide-angle Cerenkov array TAIGA-HiSCORE (FOV 0.6 sr), was originally created as a part of TAIGA installation for high-energy gamma-ray astronomy and cosmic ray physics. Array now consist on nearly 100 optical stations on the area of 1 km . Due to high accuracy and stability ( 1 ns) of time synchronization of the optical stations the accuracy of EAS arrival direction reconstruction is reached 0.1 . It was proven that the array can also be used to search for nanosecond events of the optical range. The report discusses the method of searching for optical transients using the HiSCORE array and demonstrates its performance on a real example of detecting signals from an artificial Earth satellite. The search for this short flares in the HiSCORE data of the winter season 2018–2019 is carried out. One candidate for double repeater has been detected, but the estimated probability of random simulation of such a transient by background EAS events is not less than 10 , which does not allow us to say that the detected candidate corresponds to a real astrophysical transient. An upper bound on the frequency of optical spikes with flux density of more than and a duration of more than 5 ns is established as events/sr/h. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Neutrino astronomy offers a novel view of the non-thermal Universe and is complementary to other astronomical disciplines. The field has seen rapid progress in recent years, including the first detection of astrophysical neutrinos in the TeV–PeV energy range by IceCube and the first identified extragalactic neutrino source (TXS 0506+056). Further discoveries are aimed for with new cubic-kilometer telescopes in the Northern Hemisphere: Baikal-GVD, in Lake Baikal, and KM3NeT-ARCA, in the Mediterranean sea. The construction of Baikal-GVD proceeds as planned; the detector currently includes over 2000 optical modules arranged on 56 strings, providing an effective volume of 0.35 km . We review the scientific case for Baikal-GVD, the construction plan, and first results from the partially built array. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The physics motivations and advantages of the hybrid detector complex TAIGA are presented. TAIGA aims to address gamma-ray astronomy at energies from a few TeV to several PeV units, as well as cosmic-ray physics from 100 TeV to several EeV units and astroparticle physics problems. In 2021 deployment and commissioning of the one square kilometer TAIGA setup in the Tunka valley 50 km West from Lake Baikal will be finished. The first experimental results with the TAIGA are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The prototype of a small wide-angle telescope was installed within the astrophysical complex TAIGA in the Tunka Valley in September 2019. Data were collected on the prototype's performance during the last eight observation sessions. Operating regimes of the telescope's systems, the trigger system, and the system for synchronizing with the TAIGA complex were tested. The first results from analyzing data on the prototype telescope's performance are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The TAIGA hybrid gamma-ray observatory is currently being developed in the Tunka Valley, 50 km from Lake Baikal, to study gamma radiation and charged cosmic ray fluxes in the 1013–1018 eV range. The first results are presented for detecting gamma rays from the Crab Nebula in 44 h of observation, and from the blazar Markarian 421 in 62 h of observation with a significance of around 5–6 σ by one of the TAIGA IACT telescopes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Data from a long-term experiment with monitoring of the vertical component of the electric field at the base from the surface to the bottom showed oscillations with quasi-periods of tens to hundreds of days in Lake Baikal. They are not caused by any internal sources, but they show a close relationship with intermittent oscillations of the solar X-ray radiation flux. This relationship is characterized by a high (up to 0.9) correlation with a large (multiday) delay. Variations in the electric field are naturally interpreted as a manifestation of the variability of the current in the hydrospheric segment of the global electric circuit over the Baikal Rift. The large delay can be explained by the indirect mechanism of influence in the fluxes of X-ray radiation from the Sun on the convection component of the current in the atmosphere through its complex effect on meteorological processes. In this case, the degree of correlation of X-ray radiation with the electric field is always very high, while the delay in different years can vary by an order of magnitude. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Baikal-GVD deep underwater neutrino experiment participates in the international multi-messenger program to detect the astrophysical sources of high- and ultrahigh-energy cosmic-ray particles, being at the stage of array deployment and a step-by-step increase of the telescope's effective volume to the scale of a cubic kilometer. At present, the telescope consists of seven clusters containing 2016 photodetectors. The effective volume of the detector has reached 0.35 km for the selection of shower events from neutrino interactions in Baikal water. The experimental data have been accumulated in a continuous exposure mode since 2015, allowing a prompt data analysis and a celestial-sphere monitoring program to be implemented in real time. We discuss the structure of the data acquisition system, describe the physical event reconstruction procedure in the mode of fast response to alerts, and present the results of our analysis of nine alerts from the polar IceCube telescope from early September to late October 2020. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Baikal-GVD is a deep-underwater neutrino detector of cubic-kilometer scale. It is designed to detect astrophysical neutrinos up to multi-PeV energies and beyond. The deployment of this facility began in spring 2015. Since April 2020, the detector includes seven clusters, each consisting of eight strings carrying in total 288 optical modules located at depths of 750 to 1275 m. By the end of the first phase of construction of the detector in 2024, it is planned to deploy 15 clusters, whereby an effective volume of 0.75 km for detecting high-energy cascades would be reached. The design and status of the Baikal-GVD detector are described in the present article along with selected results of data analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The importance and advantages of the hybrid approach developed within the TAIGA project for studying the high-energy section of the spectrum of gamma radiation in the Universe are discussed. The pilot complex of the TAIGA gamma observatory with an area of 1 km is briefly described along with the lines of its development, and the first results obtained on this basis are given. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Baikal-GVD project aims to create a deep-water neutrino telescope on a cubic kilometer scale in Lake Baikal. The telescope is at the rollout stage; its effective volume for detecting showers from high-energy neutrinos of an astrophysical nature has reached 0.25 km3. A set of experimental data on the telescope has been acquired since 2015 in the constant exposure mode simultaneously with the build-up of the detector. This article is devoted to the calibration of the measuring system of the neutrino telescope. It presents the equipment of the calibration system, describes the calibration procedure, and discusses the issues of the accuracy, reliability, and effectiveness of the developed calibration procedures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

We present the results of early observations for 130 error-boxes of gamma-ray bursts performed with the Mobile Astronomical System of TElescope-Robots (MASTER) global network of robotic telescopes from Moscow State University in fully automatic mode (2011–2017). Among them, GRB 130907A, GRB 120811C, GRB 110801A, GRB 120404A, GRB 140129B, GRB140311B, and GRB 160227A are considered in details. Among these 130 gamma-ray bursts, in the first 60 s after the trigger with the Swift, Fermi, INTEGRAL, MAXI, Lomonosov, and Konus-Wind orbital observatories, the MASTER was pointed on 51 gamma-ray bursts, being the leader in terms of the first pointing. Full observation automation and MASTER own real-time image processing software allowed us to obtain unique data on early optical emission that accompanied 44 gamma-ray bursts (GRB 110801A, GRB120106A, GRB 120404A, GRB 120811C, GRB 120907A, GRB 121011A, GRB 130122A, GRB 130907A, GRB 131030A, GRB 131125A, GRB 140103A, GRB 140108A, GRB 140129B, GRB 140206A, GRB 140304A, GRB 140311B, GRB 140512A, GRB 140629A, GRB 140801A, GRB140907A, GRB 140930B, GRB141028A, GRB 141225A, GRB 150210A, GRB 150211A, GRB 150301B, GRB 150323C, GRB 150404A/Fermi trigger 449861706, GRB 150403A, GRB 150413A, GRB 150518A, GRB 150627A, GRB 151021A, GRB 151215A, GRB 160104A, GRB 160117B, GRB 160131A, GRB 160227A, GRB 160425A, GRB 160611A, GRB 160625B, GRB 160804A, GRB 160910A, GRB 161017A, GRB 161117A, GRB 161119A). We obtain light curves for 13 gamma-ray bursts among the above listed ones and compare the data in the optical (MASTER), X-ray (Swift-XRT), and hard X-ray (Swift-BAT) ranges. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The results of white-light photometry for a uniquely long series of data (13.5 hours of observations, 1124 measurements) for the Near-Earth Asteroid (NEA) 2015 TB145 are presented. These data were obtained with the MASTER-Amur and MASTER-Tavrida wide-field robotic telescopes of the Mobile Astronomical System of Telescope-Robots (MASTER) global network of Lomonosov Moscow State University, located in the Crimea and in Blagoveshchensk. The object moved by more than 120° during the observations. The asteroid passed the point of closest approach to the Earth, i.e., observations were carried during both the asteroid's approach and recession. Thus, due to the geometry of the passage, this series of observations contains information about the asteroid viewed at different angles, and is very suitable for precisely determining the shape of the object. Mathematical modeling of the light curve and astrometric positions (with the Asteroids3D code) was carried out, and the probable shape of the asteroid (conical) and the rotation period of 5.9 hours were obtained, as well as the orientation of the rotation axis in ecliptic coordinates: longitude λ = 53°, latitude β = −20°. The derived period coincides with twice the period of 2.9 hours obtained by other observers published earlier, within the uncertainties. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A corrected energy dependence of the depth of the maximum in the wide range of energies 1015 to 1018 eV is obtained using data collected at the Tunka-133 facility over 7 years of operation (2009–2017) and the TAIGA-HiSCORE facility in the 2019–2020 season. At the highest energies, our results match those of the Pierre Auger observatory. The results are converted to parameter ❬ln A❭, which characterizes the mean EAS composition. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]