Ground based Gamma Ray Studies based on Atmospheric Cherenkov technique at high mountain altitude

Abstract

In this paper we present a new method for ground based gamma ray astronomy based only on atmospheric Cherenkov light flux analysis. The Cherenkov light flux densities in extensive air showers (EAS) initiated by different primaries are simulated, precisely primary protons in the energy range 100 GeV – 100 PeV, primary gamma quanta in the energy range 10 GeV – 10 PeV and primary iron nuclei in the energy range 10 TeV –100 PeV using the CORSIKA 6 code at high mountain observation level of 536 g/cm2. An approximation of lateral distribution of Cherenkov light in extensive air showers is obtained. The obtained approximation is a nonlinear fit such as Breit-Wigner with few parameters. A detailed study of the energy dependence of the proposed model function parameters is carried out and the fit of model parameters as a function of the primary energy is obtained as well. On the basis of the difference between the model parameters, precisely their behavior as a function of the energy, the strong no linearity of the model, we propose a method, which permits to make the distinction between gamma ray primaries from hadronic primaries. The possible backgrounds for ground based gamma ray astronomy are studied and the efficiency of the method is calculated. Different detector displacements are analyzed using the simulation of simplified mass spectrum of cosmic ray. The detector response is simulated taking into account the physical fluctuation of the processes, the statistical and possible systematic errors. The simulated and reconstructed events are compared and the accuracy in energy and primary mass reconstruction is obtained. Moreover the accuracy in shower axis determination is studied and criteria in shower axis position estimation are proposed.