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arXiv · 2607.14365

Using Muon Rings for the Calibration of the Cherenkov Telescope Array: An Analytical Solution for the Dual-Mirror Telescope Using Vector Geometry

Markus Gaug·Víctor Giráldez-Segalàs·Fiona Redmen
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Abstract

The analysis of ring images produced by muons in Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes (IACTs) provides a powerful and precise method for calibrating the optical throughput of the instrument and monitoring its optical point-spread function. To date, analytical solutions have been derived for single-mirror telescopes with reflectors assumed flat. However, a complete analytical description of the Cherenkov light produced by muons and detected by a dual-mirror telescope - accounting for both the secondary mirror and the camera - has remained elusive, owing to the complexity of the problem. In this work, we derive such a solution using a vector-geometry formalism supported by symbolic manipulation and Taylor expansions performed with the computer algebra system SageMath. We validate the formalism against known analytical solutions in simpler configurations and, for more complex terms, against limiting cases exhibiting the expected physical behavior. The behavior of the full solution is illustrated visually by varying the relevant parameters. The largest effects were found in the shadowing of Cherenkov light produced by inclined muons in dual-mirror telescopes, particularly for the Schwarzschild-Couder Telescope (SCT) design with baffles surrounding the secondary mirror. Deviations of up to 40% are observed relative to previously employed methods. As a by-product, we derive the first-order correction to the maximum emission height of Cherenkov photons emitted by a muon, arising from the curvature of the primary mirror - an effect neglected in previous studies - as well as the impact of coma aberration on the muon rings in single-mirror parabolic telescopes. Our results are directly applicable to muon-based calibration of the Cherenkov Telescope Array Observatory (CTAO).

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Markus Gaug, Víctor Giráldez-Segalàs, Fiona Redmen. 2026-07-15. Using Muon Rings for the Calibration of the Cherenkov Telescope Array: An Analytical Solution for the Dual-Mirror Telescope Using Vector Geometry. https://doi.org/10.3847/1538-4365%2Fae6da5

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