Design and performance of the first IceAct demonstrator at the South Pole

M. G. Aartsen, M. Ackermann, J. Adams, J. A. Aguilar, M. Ahlers, M. Ahrens, C. Alispach, K. Andeen, T. Anderson, I. Ansseau, G. Anton, C. Argüelles, T. C. Arlen, J. Auffenberg, S. Axani, P. Backes, H. Bagherpour, X. Bai, Balagopal A. Balagopal, A. BarbanoI. Bartos, S. W. Barwick, B. Bastian, V. Baum, S. Baur, R. Bay, J. J. Beatty, K. H. Becker, J. Becker Tjus, S. Benzvi, D. Berley, E. Bernardini, D. Z. Besson, G. Binder, D. Bindig, E. Blaufuss, S. Blot, C. Bohm, M. Bohmer, M. Börner, S. Böser, O. Botner, J. Böttcher, E. Bourbeau, J. Bourbeau, F. Bradascio, J. Braun, T. Bretz, S. Bron, J. Brostean-Kaiser, A. Burgman, J. Buscher, R. S. Busse, T. Carver, C. Chen, E. Cheung, D. Chirkin, S. Choi, K. Clark, L. Classen, A. Coleman, G. H. Collin, J. M. Conrad, P. Coppin, P. Correa, D. F. Cowen, R. Cross, P. Dave, C. De Clercq, J. J. Delaunay, H. Dembinski, K. Deoskar, S. De Ridder, P. Desiati, K. D. De Vries, G. De Wasseige, M. De With, T. Deyoung, A. Diaz, J. C. Díaz-Vélez, H. Dujmovic, M. Dunkman, M. A. Duvernois, E. Dvorak, B. Eberhardt, T. Ehrhardt, P. Eller, R. Engel, J. J. Evans, P. A. Evenson, S. Fahey, K. Farrag, A. R. Fazely, J. Felde, K. Filimonov, C. Finley, D. Fox, A. Franckowiak, E. Friedman, A. Fritz, T. K. Gaisser, J. Gallagher, E. Ganster, S. Garrappa, A. Gartner, L. Gerhardt, R. Gernhaeuser, K. Ghorbani, T. Glauch, T. Glüsenkamp, A. Goldschmidt, J. G. Gonzalez, D. Grant, Z. Griffith, S. Griswold, M. Günder, M. Gündüz, C. Haack, A. Hallgren, R. Halliday, L. Halve, F. Halzen, K. Hanson, J. Haugen, A. Haungs, D. Hebecker, D. Heereman, P. Heix, K. Helbing, R. Hellauer, F. Henningsen, S. Hickford, J. Hignight, G. C. Hill, K. D. Hoffman, B. Hoffmann, R. Hoffmann, T. Hoinka, B. Hokanson-Fasig, K. Holzapfel, K. Hoshina, F. Huang, M. Huber, T. Huber, T. Huege, K. Hultqvist, M. Hünnefeld, R. Hussain, S. In, N. Iovine, A. Ishihara, G. S. Japaridze, M. Jeong, K. Jero, B. J.P. Jones, F. Jonske, R. Joppe, O. Kalekin, D. Kang, W. Kang, A. Kappes, D. Kappesser, T. Karg, M. Karl, A. Karle, T. Katori, U. Katz, M. Kauer, A. Keivani, J. L. Kelley, A. Kheirandish, J. Kim, T. Kintscher, J. Kiryluk, T. Kittler, S. R. Klein, R. Koirala, H. Kolanoski, L. Köpke, C. Kopper, S. Kopper, D. J. Koskinen, M. Kowalski, C. B. Krauss, K. Krings, G. Krückl, N. Kulacz, N. Kurahashi, A. Kyriacou, M. Labare, J. L. Lanfranchi, M. J. Larson, F. Lauber, J. P. Lazar, K. Leonard, A. Leszczyńska, M. Leuermann, Q. R. Liu, E. Lohfink, J. Losecco, C. J.Lozano Mariscal, L. Lu, F. Lucarelli, J. Lünemann, W. Luszczak, Y. Lyu, W. Y. Ma, J. Madsen, G. Maggi, K. B.M. Mahn, Y. Makino, P. Mallik, K. Mallot, S. Mancina, S. Mandalia, I. C. Mariş, S. Marka, Z. Marka, R. Maruyama, K. Mase, R. Maunu, F. McNally, K. Meagher, M. Medici, A. Medina, M. Meier, S. Meighen-Berger, T. Menne, G. Merino, T. Meures, J. Micallef, D. Mockler, G. Momenté, T. Montaruli, R. W. Moore, R. Morse, M. Moulai, P. Muth, R. Nagai, P. Nakarmi, U. Naumann, G. Neer, H. Niederhausen, M. U. Nisa, S. C. Nowicki, D. R. Nygren, A. Obertacke Pollmann, M. Oehler, A. Olivas, A. O'Murchadha, E. O'Sullivan, T. Palczewski, H. Pandya, D. V. Pankova, L. Papp, N. Park, P. Peiffer, C. Pérez De Los Heros, T. C. Petersen, S. Philippen, D. Pieloth, E. Pinat, J. L. Pinfold, A. Pizzuto, M. Plum, A. Porcelli, P. B. Price, G. T. Przybylski, C. Raab, L. Rädel, A. Raissi, M. Rameez, L. Rauch, K. Rawlins, I. C. Rea, R. Reimann, B. Relethford, M. Renschler, G. Renzi, E. Resconi, W. Rhode, M. Richman, M. Riegel, S. Robertson, M. Rongen, C. Rott, T. Ruhe, D. Ryckbosch, D. Rysewyk, I. Safa, S. E.Sanchez Herrera, A. Sandrock, J. Sandroos, P. Sandstrom, M. Santander, S. Sarkar, K. Satalecka, M. Schaufel, H. Schieler, P. Schlunder, T. Schmidt, A. Schneider, J. Schneider, S. Schoenen, F. G. Schröder, J. Schumacher, L. Schumacher, S. Sclafani, D. Seckel, S. Seunarine, M. H. Shaevitz, S. Shefali, M. Silva, R. Snihur, J. Soedingrekso, D. Soldin, S. Söldner-Rembold, M. Song, G. M. Spiczak, C. Spiering, J. Stachurska, M. Stamatikos, T. Stanev, R. Stein, P. Steinmüller, J. Stettner, A. Steuer, T. Stezelberger, R. G. Stokstad, A. Stößl, N. L. Strotjohann, T. Stürwald, T. Stuttard, G. W. Sullivan, I. Taboada, A. Taketa, H. K.M. Tanaka, F. Tenholt, S. Ter-Antonyan, A. Terliuk, S. Tilav, K. Tollefson, L. Tomankova, C. Tönnis, S. Toscano, D. Tosi, A. Trettin, M. Tselengidou, C. F. Tung, A. Turcati, R. Turcotte, C. F. Turley, B. Ty, E. Unger, M. A.Unland Elorrieta, M. Usner, J. Vandenbroucke, W. Van Driessche, D. Van Eijk, N. Van Eijndhoven, S. Vanheule, J. Van Santen, D. Veberic, M. Vraeghe, C. Walck, A. Wallace, M. Wallraff, N. Wandkowsky, T. B. Watson, C. Weaver, A. Weindl, M. J. Weiss, J. Weldert, C. Wendt, J. Werthebach, B. J. Whelan, N. Whitehorn, K. Wiebe, C. H. Wiebusch, L. Wille, D. R. Williams, L. Wills, M. Wolf, J. Wood, T. R. Wood, K. Woschnagg, G. Wrede, S. Wren, D. L. Xu, X. W. Xu, Y. Xu, J. P. Yanez, G. Yodh, S. Yoshida, T. Yuan, M. Zöcklein

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

2 Scopus citations

Abstract

In this paper we describe the first results of IceAct, a compact imaging air-Cherenkov telescope operating in coincidence with the IceCube Neutrino Observatory (IceCube) at the geographic South Pole. An array of IceAct telescopes (referred to as the IceAct project) is under consideration as part of the IceCube-Gen2 extension to IceCube. Surface detectors in general will be a powerful tool in IceCube-Gen2 for distinguishing astrophysical neutrinos from the dominant backgrounds of cosmic-ray induced atmospheric muons and neutrinos: the IceTop array is already in place as part of IceCube, but has a high energy threshold. Although the duty cycle will be lower for the IceAct telescopes than the present IceTop tanks, the IceAct telescopes may prove to be more effective at lowering the detection threshold for air showers. Additionally, small imaging air-Cherenkov telescopes in combination with IceTop, the deep IceCube detector or other future detector systems might improve measurements of the composition of the cosmic ray energy spectrum. In this paper we present measurements of a first 7-pixel imaging air Cherenkov telescope demonstrator, proving the capability of this technology to measure air showers at the South Pole in coincidence with IceTop and the deep IceCube detector.

Original languageEnglish
Article numberT02002
JournalJournal of Instrumentation
Volume15
Issue number2
DOIs
StatePublished - 4 Feb 2020

Keywords

  • Cherenkov detectors
  • Gamma telescopes
  • Large detector systems for particle and astroparticle physics
  • Neutrino detectors

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