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New Flux Limits in the Low Relativistic Regime for Magnetic Monopoles at IceCube

Proceedings of Science 395 (2022)

Authors:

FH Lauber, R Abbasi, M Ackermann, J Adams, JA Aguilar, M Ahlers, M Ahrens, C Alispach, AA Alves, NM Amin, R An, K Andeen, T Anderson, G Anton, C Argüelles, Y Ashida, S Axani, X Bai, AV Balagopal, A Barbano, SW Barwick, B Bastian, V Basu, S Baur, R Bay, JJ Beatty, KH Becker, J Becker Tjus, C Bellenghi, S BenZvi, D Berley, E Bernardini, DZ Besson, G Binder, D Bindig, E Blaufuss, S Blot, M Boddenberg, F Bontempo, J Borowka, S Böser, O Botner, J Böttcher, E Bourbeau, F Bradascio, J Braun, S Bron, J Brostean-Kaiser, S Browne, A Burgman, RT Burley, RS Busse, MA Campana, EG Carnie-Bronca, C Chen, D Chirkin, K Choi, BA Clark, K Clark, L Classen, A Coleman, GH Collin, JM Conrad, P Coppin, P Correa, DF Cowen, R Cross, C Dappen, P Dave, C De Clercq, JJ DeLaunay, H Dembinski, K Deoskar, S De Ridder, A Desai, P Desiati, KD de Vries, G de Wasseige, M de With, T DeYoung, S Dharani, A Diaz, JC Díaz-Vélez, M Dittmer, H Dujmovic, M Dunkman, MA DuVernois, E Dvorak, T Ehrhardt, P Eller, R Engel, H Erpenbeck, J Evans, PA Evenson, KL Fan, AR Fazely, S Fiedlschuster, AT Fienberg, K Filimonov, C Finley

Abstract:

Magnetic monopoles are hypothetical particles that carry magnetic charge. Depending on their velocity, different light production mechanisms exist to facilitate detection. In this work, a previously unused light production mechanism, luminescence of ice, is introduced. This light production mechanism is nearly independent of the velocity of the incident magnetic monopole and becomes the only viable light production mechanism in the low relativistic regime (0.1-0.55c). An analysis in the low relativistic regime searching for magnetic monopoles in seven years of IceCube data is presented. While no magnetic monopole detection can be claimed, a new flux limit in the low relativistic regime is presented, superseding the previous best flux limit by 2 orders of magnitude.

POCAM in the IceCube Upgrade

Proceedings of Science 395 (2022)

Authors:

N Khera, F Henningsen, R Abbasi, M Ackermann, J Adams, JA Aguilar, M Ahlers, M Ahrens, C Alispach, AA Alves, NM Amin, R An, K Andeen, T Anderson, G Anton, C Argüelles, Y Ashida, S Axani, X Bai, AV Balagopal, A Barbano, SW Barwick, B Bastian, V Basu, S Baur, R Bay, JJ Beatty, KH Becker, J Becker Tjus, C Bellenghi, S BenZvi, D Berley, E Bernardini, DZ Besson, G Binder, D Bindig, E Blaufuss, S Blot, M Boddenberg, F Bontempo, J Borowka, S Böser, O Botner, J Böttcher, E Bourbeau, F Bradascio, J Braun, S Bron, J Brostean-Kaiser, S Browne, A Burgman, RT Burley, RS Busse, MA Campana, EG Carnie-Bronca, C Chen, D Chirkin, K Choi, BA Clark, K Clark, L Classen, A Coleman, GH Collin, JM Conrad, P Coppin, P Correa, DF Cowen, R Cross, C Dappen, P Dave, C De Clercq, JJ DeLaunay, H Dembinski, K Deoskar, S De Ridder, A Desai, P Desiati, KD de Vries, G de Wasseige, M de With, T DeYoung, S Dharani, A Diaz, JC Díaz-Vélez, M Dittmer, H Dujmovic, M Dunkman, MA DuVernois, E Dvorak, T Ehrhardt, P Eller, R Engel, H Erpenbeck, J Evans, PA Evenson, KL Fan, AR Fazely, S Fiedlschuster, AT Fienberg, K Filimonov

Abstract:

The IceCube Neutrino Observatory at the geographic South Pole instruments a gigaton of glacial Antarctic ice with over 5000 photosensors. The detector, by now running for over a decade, will be upgraded with seven new densely instrumented strings. The project focuses on the improvement of low-energy and oscillation physics sensitivities as well as re-calibration of the existing detector. Over the last few years we developed a Precision Optical Calibration Module (POCAM) providing self-monitored, isotropic, nanosecond, light pulses for optical calibration of large-volume detectors. Over 20 next-generation POCAMs will be calibrated and deployed in the IceCube Upgrade in order to reduce existing detector systematics. We report a general overview of the POCAM instrument, its performance and calibration procedures.
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Performance of the Cherenkov Telescope Array in the presence of clouds

Proceedings of Science 395 (2022)

Authors:

M Pecimotika, K Adamczyk, DD Prester, O Gueta, D Hrupec, G Maier, S Mićanović, L Pavletić, J Sitarek, D Sobczyńska, M Szanecki, H Abdalla, H Abe, S Abe, A Abusleme, F Acero, A Acharyya, V Acín Portella, K Ackley, R Adam, C Adams, SS Adhikari, I Aguado-Ruesga, I Agudo, R Aguilera, A Aguirre-Santaella, F Aharonian, A Alberdi, R Alfaro, J Alfaro, C Alispach, R Aloisio, R Alves Batista, JP Amans, L Amati, E Amato, L Ambrogi, G Ambrosi, M Ambrosio, R Ammendola, J Anderson, M Anduze, EO Angüner, LA Antonelli, V Antonuccio, P Antoranz, R Anutarawiramkul, J Aragunde Gutierrez, C Aramo, A Araudo, M Araya, A Arbet-Engels, C Arcaro, V Arendt, C Armand, T Armstrong, F Arqueros, L Arrabito, B Arsioli, M Artero, K Asano, Y Ascasíbar, J Aschersleben, M Ashley, P Attinà, P Aubert, CB Singh, D Baack, A Babic, M Backes, V Baena, S Bajtlik, A Baktash, C Balazs, M Balbo, O Ballester, J Ballet, B Balmaverde, A Bamba, R Bandiera, A Baquero Larriva, P Barai, C Barbier, V Barbosa Martins, M Barcelo, M Barkov, M Barnard, L Baroncelli, U Barres de Almeida, JA Barrio, D Bastieri, PI Batista, I Batkovic, C Bauer, R Bautista-González, J Baxter, U Becciani, J Becerra González, Y Becherini, G Beck

Abstract:

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the future ground-based observatory for gamma-ray astronomy at very high energies. The atmosphere is an integral part of every Cherenkov telescope. Different atmospheric conditions, such as clouds, can reduce the fraction of Cherenkov photons produced in air showers that reach ground-based telescopes, which may affect the performance. Decreased sensitivity of the telescopes may lead to misconstructed energies and spectra. This study presents the impact of various atmospheric conditions on CTA performance. The atmospheric transmission in a cloudy atmosphere in the wavelength range from 203 nm to 1000 nm was simulated for different cloud bases and different optical depths using the MODerate resolution atmospheric TRANsmission (MODTRAN) code. MODTRAN output files were used as inputs for generic Monte Carlo simulations. The analysis was performed using the MAGIC Analysis and Reconstruction Software (MARS) adapted for CTA. As expected, the effects of clouds are most evident at low energies, near the energy threshold. Even in the presence of dense clouds, high-energy gamma rays may still trigger the telescopes if the first interaction occurs lower in the atmosphere, below the cloud base. A method to analyze very high-energy data obtained in the presence of clouds is presented. The systematic uncertainties of the method are evaluated. These studies help to gain more precise knowledge about the CTA response to cloudy conditions and give insights on how to proceed with data obtained in such conditions. This may prove crucial for alert-based observations and time-critical studies of transient phenomena.

Prospects for Galactic transient sources detection with the Cherenkov Telescope Array

Proceedings of Science 395 (2022)

Authors:

A López-Oramas, A Bulgarelli, S Chaty, M Chernyakova, R Gnatyk, B Hnatyk, D Kantzas, S Markoff, S McKeague, S Mereghetti, E Mestre, A di Piano, P Romano, I Sadeh, O Sergijenko, L Sidoli, A Spolon, E de Ona Wilhelmi, G Piano, L Zampieri, H Abdalla, H Abe, S Abe, A Abusleme, F Acero, A Acharyya, V Acín Portella, K Ackley, R Adam, C Adams, SS Adhikari, I Aguado-Ruesga, I Agudo, R Aguilera, A Aguirre-Santaella, F Aharonian, A Alberdi, R Alfaro, J Alfaro, C Alispach, R Aloisio, R Alves Batista, JP Amans, L Amati, E Amato, L Ambrogi, G Ambrosi, M Ambrosio, R Ammendola, J Anderson, M Anduze, EO Angüner, LA Antonelli, V Antonuccio, P Antoranz, R Anutarawiramkul, J Aragunde Gutierrez, C Aramo, A Araudo, M Araya, A Arbet-Engels, C Arcaro, V Arendt, C Armand, T Armstrong, F Arqueros, L Arrabito, B Arsioli, M Artero, K Asano, Y Ascasíbar, J Aschersleben, M Ashley, P Attinà, P Aubert, CB Singh, D Baack, A Babic, M Backes, V Baena, S Bajtlik, A Baktash, C Balazs, M Balbo, O Ballester, J Ballet, B Balmaverde, A Bamba, R Bandiera, A Baquero Larriva, P Barai, C Barbier, V Barbosa Martins, M Barcelo, M Barkov, M Barnard, L Baroncelli, U Barres de Almeida, JA Barrio, D Bastieri

Abstract:

Several types of Galactic sources, like magnetars, microquasars, novae or pulsar wind nebulae flares, display transient emission in the X-ray band. Some of these sources have also shown emission at MeV-GeV energies. However, none of these Galactic transients have ever been detected in the very-high-energy (VHE; E>100 GeV) regime by any Imaging Air Cherenkov Telescope (IACT). The Galactic Transient task force is a part of the Transient Working group of the Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) Consortium. The task force investigates the prospects of detecting the VHE counterpart of such sources, as well as their study following Target of Opportunity (ToO) observations. In this contribution, we will show some of the results of exploring the capabilities of CTA to detect and observe Galactic transients; we assume different array configurations and observing strategies.

Prototype Open Event Reconstruction Pipeline for the Cherenkov Telescope Array

Proceedings of Science 395 (2022)

Authors:

M Nöthe, K Kosack, L Nickel, M Peresano, H Abdalla, H Abe, S Abe, A Abusleme, F Acero, A Acharyya, V Acín Portella, K Ackley, R Adam, C Adams, SS Adhikari, I Aguado-Ruesga, I Agudo, R Aguilera, A Aguirre-Santaella, F Aharonian, A Alberdi, R Alfaro, J Alfaro, C Alispach, R Aloisio, R Alves Batista, JP Amans, L Amati, E Amato, L Ambrogi, G Ambrosi, M Ambrosio, R Ammendola, J Anderson, M Anduze, EO Angüner, LA Antonelli, V Antonuccio, P Antoranz, R Anutarawiramkul, J Aragunde Gutierrez, C Aramo, A Araudo, M Araya, A Arbet-Engels, C Arcaro, V Arendt, C Armand, T Armstrong, F Arqueros, L Arrabito, B Arsioli, M Artero, K Asano, Y Ascasíbar, J Aschersleben, M Ashley, P Attinà, P Aubert, CB Singh, D Baack, A Babic, M Backes, V Baena, S Bajtlik, A Baktash, C Balazs, M Balbo, O Ballester, J Ballet, B Balmaverde, A Bamba, R Bandiera, A Baquero Larriva, P Barai, C Barbier, V Barbosa Martins, M Barcelo, M Barkov, M Barnard, L Baroncelli, U Barres de Almeida, JA Barrio, D Bastieri, PI Batista, I Batkovic, C Bauer, R Bautista-González, J Baxter, U Becciani, J Becerra González, Y Becherini, G Beck, J Becker Tjus, W Bednarek, A Belfiore, L Bellizzi, R Belmont, W Benbow, D Berge

Abstract:

The Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is the next-generation gamma-ray observatory currently under construction. It will improve over the current generation of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes (IACTs) by a factor of five to ten in sensitivity and it will be able to observe the whole sky from a combination of two sites: a northern site in La Palma, Spain, and a southern one in Paranal, Chile. CTA will also be the first open gamma-ray observatory. Accordingly, the data analysis pipeline is developed as open-source software. The event reconstruction pipeline accepts raw data of the telescopes and processes it to produce suitable input for the higher-level science tools. Its primary tasks include reconstructing the physical properties of each recorded shower and providing the corresponding instrument response functions. ctapipe is a framework providing algorithms and tools to facilitate raw data calibration, image extraction, image parameterization and event reconstruction. Its main focus is currently the analysis of simulated data but it has also been successfully applied for the analysis of data obtained with the first CTA prototype telescopes, such as the Large-Sized Telescope 1 (LST-1). pyirf is a library to calculate IACT instrument response functions, needed to obtain physics results like spectra and light curves, from the reconstructed event lists. Building on these two, protopipe is a prototype for the event reconstruction pipeline for CTA. Recent developments in these software packages will be presented.