Calibration of the Cherenkov telescope array using cosmic ray electrons

0547842 - FZÚ 2022 RIV NL eng J - Journal Article
Parsons, R. D. … Total 3 authors
Calibration of the Cherenkov telescope array using cosmic ray electrons.
Astroparticle Physics. Roč. 84, November (2016), s. 23-28. ISSN 0927-6505. E-ISSN 1873-2852
Research Infrastructure: CTA-CZ - 90046
Keywords : electron-positron spectrum * imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes * calibration
OECD category: Particles and field physics
Impact factor: 3.257, year: 2016
Method of publishing: Limited access
https://doi.org/10.1016/j.astropartphys.2016.08.001

Cosmic ray electrons represent a background for gamma-ray observations with Cherenkov telescopes, initiating air-showers which are difficult to distinguish from photon-initiated showers. This similarity, however, and the presence of cosmic ray electrons in every field observed, makes them potentially very useful for calibration purposes. Here we study the precision with which the relative energy scale and collection area efficiency for photons can be established using electrons for a major next generation instrument such as CTA. We find that variations in collection efficiency on hour timescales can be corrected to better than 1%. Furthermore, the break in the electron spectrum at similar to 0.9 TeV can be used to calibrate the energy scale at the 3% level on the same timescale. For observations on the order of hours, statistical errors become negligible below a few TeV and allow for an energy scale cross-check with instruments such as CALET and AMS.

Permanent Link: http://hdl.handle.net/11104/0324008