A. Ivanova

TAIGA the Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic ray physics and Gamma Astronomy - present status and perspectives

TAIGA stands for ``Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic ray physics and Gamma Astronomy and is a project to built a complex, hybrid detector system for ground-based gamma-ray astronomy from a few TeV to several PeV, and for cosmic ray studies from 100 TeV to 1 EeV. TAIGA will search for ``PeVatrons (ultra-high energy gamma-ray sources) and measure the composition and spectrum of cosmic rays in the knee region (100 TeV–10 PeV) with good energy resolution and high statistics. TAIGA will include Tunka-HiSCORE — an array of wide-angle air Cherenkov stations, an array of Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes, an array of particle detectors, both on the surface and underground and the TUNKA-133 air Cherenkov array.

HiSCORE - The Hundred*i square-km cosmic ORigin explorer

Addressing the mysteries of cosmic rays requires a comprehensive observational approach, including information on mass composition and spectrum (from CR nuclei) as well as directional information (gamma-rays or neutrinos). HiSCORE covers both approaches using indirect air-shower observations of cosmic rays from 100 TeV to 1 EeV and gamma-rays in the so far poorly covered energy range from 10 TeV to several PeV. Among other questions of astroparticle and particle physics, HiSCORE will allow cosmic ray composition and spectral measurements in the transition range between Galactic and Extragalactic origin. Searching for gamma-rays from the PeV-accelerators, the pevatrons, will consititute a crucial building-block for solving the question of the origin of Galactic cosmic rays. HiSCORE is an array of non-imaging light-collecting stations for Cherenkov light-front sampling. The lateral Cherenkov photon density and arrival-time distribution are measured, allowing the reconstruction of the direction, the energy, ...

Simulation of the Tunka-133 scintillation experiment

The project of the scintillation complex of the upgraded Tunka-133 detector is described. Software for simulation of recording and processing of events by the future scintillation part of the Tunka-133 detector is presented. Highlights of the simulation are given. Results of the simulation of extensive air showers using Aires software are listed.

The promise of the Tunka-Grande scintillation experiment for studying the mass composition of primary cosmic rays

A description of the project of the Tunka-Grande scintillation complex is provided. The prospects of studying the energy spectrum and mass composition of the primary cosmic rays during simultaneous registration of the Cherenkov, electron, and muon components of extensive air showers are discussed.

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 TAIGA experiment: from cosmic ray to gamma-ray astronomy in the Tunka valley

The physical motivations and advantages of the new gamma-observatory TAIGA (Tunka Advanced Instrument for cosmic ray physics and Gamma Astronomy) is presented. The TAIGA array is a complex, hybrid detector for ground-based gamma-ray astronomy for energies from a few TeV to several PeV as well as for cosmic ray studies from 100 TeV to several EeV. The TAIGA will include the wide angle Cherenkov array TAIGA-HiSCORE with ~5 km2 area, a net of 16 I ACT telescopes (with FOV of about 10x10 degree), muon detectors with a total area of up to 2000-3000 m2 and the radio array Tunka-Rex.

The Taiga project

The TAIGA project is aimed at solving the fundamental problems of gamma-ray astronomy and physics of ultrahigh energy cosmic rays with the help of the complex of detectors, located in the Tunka valley (Siberia, Russia). TAIGA includes a wide-angle large area Tunka-HiSCORE array, designed to detect gamma-rays of ultrahigh energies in the range 20 - 1000 TeV and charged cosmic rays with energies of 100 TeV - 100 PeV, large area muon detector to improve the rejection of background EAS protons and nuclei and a network of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes for gamma radiation detection. We discuss the goals and objectives of the complex features of each detector and the results obtained in the first stage of the HiSCORE installation.

Towards gamma-ray astronomy with timing arrays

The gamma-ray energy regime beyond 10 TeV is crucial for the search for the most energetic Galactic accelerators. The energy spectra of most known gamma-ray emitters only reach up to few 10s of TeV, with 80 TeV from the Crab Nebula being the highest energy so far observed significantly. Uncovering their spectral shape up to few 100 TeV could answer the question whether some of these objects are cosmic ray Pevatrons, i.e. Galactic PeV accelerators.Sensitive observations in this energy range and beyond require very large effective detector areas of several 10s to 100 square-km. While imaging air Cherenkov telescopes have proven to be the instruments of choice in the GeV to TeV energy range, very large area telescope arrays are limited by the number of required readout channels per instrumented square-km (due to the large number of channels per telescope). Alternatively, the shower-front sampling technique allows to instrument large effective areas and also naturally provides large viewing angles of the instrument. Solely measuring the shower front light density and timing (hence timing- arrays), the primary particle properties are reconstructed on the basis of the measured lateral density function and the shower front arrival times. This presentation gives an overview of the technique, its goals, and future perspective.

TAIGA experiment: present status and perspectives

The TAIGA observatory addresses ground-based gamma-ray astronomy at energies from a few TeV to several PeV, as well as cosmic ray physics from 100 TeV to several EeV . TAIGA will be located in the Tunka valley, ~ 50 km West from Lake Baikal. The different detectors of the TAIGA will be grouped in 6 arrays to measure Cherenkov and radio emission as well as electron and muon components of atmospheric showers. The combination of the wide angle Cherenkov detectors of the TAIGA-HiSCORE array and the 4-m Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescopes of the TAIGA-IACT array with their FoV of 10×10 degrees and underground muon detectors offers a very cost effective way to construct a 5 km2 array for gamma-ray astronomy.

The Tunka-Grande experiment: Status and prospects

The Tunka-Grande scintillation array is described. The first results from its operation are presented. The prospects for studying primary cosmic rays in the energy range of 1016 to 1018 eV during simultaneous registration of the Cherenkov and charged particle components along with radio emissions from extensive air showers are discussed.