Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic rays and Gamma Astronomy

The paper is a script of a lecture given at the ISAPP-Baikal summer school in 2018. The lecture gives an overview of the Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic rays and Gamma Astronomy (TAIGA) facility including historical introduction, description of existing and future setups, and outreach and open data activities.Comment: Lectures given at the ISAPP-Baikal Summer School 2018: Exploring the Universe through multiple messengers, 12-21 July 2018, Bol'shie Koty, Russi

Method of Separation Between Light and Heavy Groups of Primary CR Nuclei by LDF of Cherenkov Light in the Range 300–3000 TeV

The problem of chemical composition below the knee in the cosmic-ray energy spectrum has not yet been solved due to low statistics collected from direct experiments. In the HiSCORE experiment the lateral distribution functions (LDF) of Cherenkov light of EASs with energy greater than hundreds of TeV can be measured in detail for millions of individual events. A full steepness of LDF is sensitive to the depth of shower maximum and as a result to primary particle type. In this paper, we developed a parametric method of separation between heavy and light groups of nuclei using the ’knee-like’ approximation of LDF and taking into account measurement uncertainty

The precision of the IACT mechanical mounts of the TAIGA observatory

The TAIGA (Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic ray physics and Gamma Astronomy) observatory is located in the Tunka valley (~50 km west from the southern shore of Lake Baikal) at an altitude of 675m a.s.l. The TAIGA observatory aims to address gamma-ray astronomy at energies from a few TeV to several PeV and CR physics from 100 TeV to several EeV. Its main feature is the complementary, hybrid approach to distinguish CR events from those of gamma rays. Currently TAIGA consists of ~80 wide-angle air Cherenkov detectors (HiSCORE stations), three ~4m diameter IACTs and several hundred surface and underground muon detectors, grouped in three jointly operating arrays. The exceptional feature of the TAIGA IACT array is it’s topology that allows one to aim for the optimal cost/performance by scanning the optimal inter-telescope distances from 300m up to 600m. The IACTs have alt-azimuth type mounts and 576-pixel imaging cameras in the foci, covering 9.6° aperture in the sky. The segmented reflectors of ~10m² area follow the Davis-Cotton design. The largest diameter of the hexagonal shape reflector is 4.3m and the focal length is 4.75m. The rigid telescope mount provides a maximum displacement of EAS image below 2mm (i.e. ≤ 0.024°) in the photodetector plane. The main parameters of IACTs are of a crucial importance for their efficient operation and is presented

TAIGA -- an advanced hybrid detector complex for astroparticle physics and high energy gamma-ray astronomy

The physical motivations, present status, main results in study of cosmic rays and in the field of gamma-ray astronomy as well future plans of the TAIGA-1 (Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic ray physics and Gamma Astronomy) project are presented. The TAIGA observatory addresses ground-based gamma-ray astronomy and astroparticle physics at energies from a few TeV to several PeV, as well as cosmic ray physics from 100 TeV to several EeV. The pilot TAIGA-1 complex is located in the Tunka valley, ~50 km west from the southern tip of the lake Baikal.Comment: Submission to SciPost Phys. Proc., 10 pages, 2 figure

Primary Cosmic Rays Energy Spectrum and Mean Mass Composition by the Data of the TAIGA Astrophysical Complex

The corrected dependence of the mean depth of the EAS maximum $X_{max}$ on the energy was obtained from the data of the Tunka-133 array for 7 years and the TAIGA-HiSCORE array for 2 year. The parameter $\langle\ln A\rangle$, characterizing the mean mass compositon was derived from these results. The differential energy spectrum of primary cosmic rays in the energy range of $2\cdot 10^{14}$ - $2\cdot 10^{16}$\,eV was reconstructed using the new parameter $Q_{100}$ the Cherenkov light flux at the core distance 100 m.}Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, Submitted to SciPost Phys.Pro

First results of the tracking system calibration of the TAIGA-IACT telescope

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Development of hybrid reconstruction techniques for TAIGA

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Timing calibration and directional reconstruction for Tunka-HiSCORE

The Tunka-HiSCORE detector follows the concept of a non-imaging wide-angle EAS Cherenkov array, designed to search for γ-ray sources above 10 TeV and to investigate the spectrum and composition of cosmic-rays above 100 TeV. A prototype array with 9 stations has been deployed in October 2013 at the site of the Tunka experiment in Russia. We describe design and performance of the array data acquisition system DAQ-2, focusing on its timing system based on the White Rabbit technology for sub-nsec time-synchronization over ethernet. First results of EAS arrival direction reconstruction, compared with MC simulations, and tests with artifical light sources verify an excellent performance of the system

The Tunka-Grande experiment

The investigation of energy spectrum and mass composition of primary cosmic rays in the energy range 10$^{16}$–10$^{18}$ eV and the search for diffuse cosmic gamma rays are of the great interest for understanding mechanisms and nature of high-energy particle sources, the problem of great importance in modern astrophysics. Tunka-Grande scintillator array is a part of the experimental complex TAIGA (Tunka Advanced Instrument for Cosmic Ray and Gamma Astronomy) which is located in the Tunka Valley, about 50 km from Lake Baikal. The purpose of this array is the study of diffuse gamma rays and cosmic rays of ultra-high energies by detecting extensive air showers. We describe the design, specifications of the read-out, data acquisition (DAQ) and control systems of the array

Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic rays and Gamma Astronomy (TAIGA): Status, results and perspectives

We present the current status of high-energy cosmic-ray physics and gamma-ray astronomy at the Tunka Astrophysical Center (AC). This complex is located in the Tunka Valley, about 50 km from Lake Baikal. Present efforts are focused on the construction of the first stage of the gamma-ray observatory TAIGA - the TAIGA prototype. TAIGA (Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic ray physics and Gamma Astronomy) is designed for the study of gamma rays and charged cosmic rays in the energy range 1013 eV–1018 eV. The array includes a network of wide angle timing Cherenkov stations (TAIGA-HiSCORE), each with a FOV = 0.6 sr, plus up to 16 IACTs (FOV - 10∘× 10∘). This part covers an area of 5 km2. Additional muon detectors (TAIGA-Muon), with a total coverage of 2000 m2, are distributed over an area of 1 km2