1. First detection of the Crab Nebula at TeV energies with a Cherenkov telescope in dual-mirror Schwarzschild-Couder configuration: the ASTRI-Horn telescope
- Author
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S. Lombardi, O. Catalano, S. Scuderi, L. A. Antonelli, G. Pareschi, E. Antolini, L. Arrabito, G. Bellassai, K. Bernlöhr, C. Bigongiari, B. Biondo, G. Bonanno, G. Bonnoli, G. M. Böttcher, J. Bregeon, P. Bruno, R. Canestrari, M. Capalbi, P. Caraveo, P. Conconi, V. Conforti, G. Contino, G. Cusumano, E. M. de Gouveia Dal Pino, A. Distefano, G. Farisato, C. Fermino, M. Fiorini, A. Frigo, S. Gallozzi, C. Gargano, S. Garozzo, F. Gianotti, S. Giarrusso, R. Gimenes, E. Giro, A. Grillo, D. Impiombato, S. Incorvaia, N. La Palombara, V. La Parola, G. La Rosa, G. Leto, F. Lucarelli, M. C. Maccarone, D. Marano, E. Martinetti, A. Miccichè, R. Millul, T. Mineo, G. Nicotra, G. Occhipinti, I. Pagano, M. Perri, G. Romeo, F. Russo, B. Sacco, P. Sangiorgi, F. G. Saturni, A. Segreto, G. Sironi, G. Sottile, A. Stamerra, L. Stringhetti, G. Tagliaferri, M. Tavani, V. Testa, M. C. Timpanaro, G. Toso, G. Tosti, M. Trifoglio, G. Umana, S. Vercellone, R. Zanmar Sanchez, C. Arcaro, A. Bulgarelli, M. Cardillo, E. Cascone, A. Costa, A. D’Aì, F. D’Ammando, M. Del Santo, V. Fioretti, A. Lamastra, S. Mereghetti, F. Pintore, G. Rodeghiero, P. Romano, J. Schwarz, E. Sciacca, F. R. Vitello, A. Wolter, Laboratoire Univers et Particules de Montpellier (LUPM), Université Montpellier 2 - Sciences et Techniques (UM2)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS), Laboratoire de Physique Subatomique et de Cosmologie (LPSC), Université Joseph Fourier - Grenoble 1 (UJF)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Institut Polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA), 24420530 - Böttcher, Markus, ITA, USA, FRA, Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université de Montpellier (UM)-Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Université Montpellier 2 - Sciences et Techniques (UM2), Institut National de Physique Nucléaire et de Physique des Particules du CNRS (IN2P3)-Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS)-Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)-Institut polytechnique de Grenoble - Grenoble Institute of Technology (Grenoble INP ), and Université Grenoble Alpes (UGA)
- Subjects
Cherenkov Telescope Array ,reflection: efficiency ,Astrophysics ,7. Clean energy ,01 natural sciences ,law.invention ,energy: threshold ,Observatory ,law ,hardware ,Cherenkov ,data analysis [Methods] ,mirror ,010303 astronomy & astrophysics ,Physics ,High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena (astro-ph.HE) ,astro-ph.HE ,electronics ,Detector ,Astrophysics::Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics ,Schwarzschild ,observatory ,Cardinal point ,supernovae: individual: Crab Nebula ,gamma ray: emission ,techniques: miscellaneous ,individual: Crab Nebula [Supernovae] ,Astrophysics - Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics ,Astrophysics - High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena ,technique: miscellaneous ,Astrophysics and Astronomy ,gamma rays: general ,telescopes ,methods: data analysis ,Astrophysics::High Energy Astrophysical Phenomena ,general [Gamma rays] ,miscellaneous [Techniques] ,FOS: Physical sciences ,Context (language use) ,programming ,VHE ,Telescope ,0103 physical sciences ,detector: pixel ,photomultiplier: silicon ,[PHYS.PHYS.PHYS-INS-DET]Physics [physics]/Physics [physics]/Instrumentation and Detectors [physics.ins-det] ,Instrumentation and Methods for Astrophysics (astro-ph.IM) ,Cherenkov radiation ,010308 nuclear & particles physics ,Astronomy ,Astronomy and Astrophysics ,calibration ,supernovae: individual (Crab Nebula) ,Crab Nebula ,Cherenkov counter ,Space and Planetary Science ,[PHYS.ASTR]Physics [physics]/Astrophysics [astro-ph] ,statistical ,Telescopes ,astro-ph.IM - Abstract
We report on the first detection of very high-energy (VHE) gamma-ray emission from the Crab Nebula by a Cherenkov telescope in dual-mirror Schwarzschild-Couder (SC) configuration. The result has been achieved by means of the 4 m size ASTRI-Horn telescope, operated on Mt. Etna (Italy) and developed in the context of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory preparatory phase. The dual-mirror SC design is aplanatic and characterized by a small plate scale, allowing us to implement large field of view cameras with small-size pixel sensors and a high compactness. The curved focal plane of the ASTRI camera is covered by silicon photo-multipliers (SiPMs), managed by an unconventional front-end electronics based on a customized peak-sensing detector mode. The system includes internal and external calibration systems, hardware and software for control and acquisition, and the complete data archiving and processing chain. The observations of the Crab Nebula were carried out in December 2018, during the telescope verification phase, for a total observation time (after data selection) of 24.4 h, equally divided into on- and off-axis source exposure. The camera system was still under commissioning and its functionality was not yet completely exploited. Furthermore, due to recent eruptions of the Etna Volcano, the mirror reflection efficiency was reduced. Nevertheless, the observations led to the detection of the source with a statistical significance of 5.4 sigma above an energy threshold of ~3 TeV. This result provides an important step towards the use of dual-mirror systems in Cherenkov gamma-ray astronomy. A pathfinder mini-array based on nine large field-of-view ASTRI-like telescopes is under implementation., 6 pages, 2 figures
- Published
- 2020