HAWC: a next generation all-sky VHE gamma-ray telescope
- Gus
The study of the universe at energies above 100 GeV is a relatively new and exciting field. The current generation of pointed instruments have detected TeV gamma rays from at least 10 sources and the next generation of detectors promises a large increase in sensitivity. We have also seen the development of a new type of all-sky monitor in this energy regime based on water Cherenkov technology (Milagro). To fully understand the universe at these extreme energies requires a highly sensitive detector capable of continuously monitoring the entire overhead sky. Such an instrument could observe prompt emission from gamma-ray bursts and probe the limits of Lorentz invariance at high energies. With sufficient sensitivity it could detect shorthransients ({approx}15 minutes) from active galaxies and study the time structure of flares at energies unattainable to space-based instruments. Unlike pointed instruments a wide-field instrument can make an unbiased study of all active galaxies and enable many multi-wavelength campaigns to study these objects. This paper describes the design and performance of a next generation water Cherenkov detector. To attain a low energy threshold and have high sensitivity the detector should be located at high altitude (> 4km) and have a large area ({approx}40,000 m{sup 2}). Such an instrument could detect gamma ray bursts out to a redshift of 1, observe flares from active galaxies as short as 15 minutes in duration, and survey the overhead sky at a level of 50 mCrab in one year.
- Research Organization:
- Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 977504
- Report Number(s):
- LA-UR-04-1648; TRN: US201009%%805
- Resource Relation:
- Conference: Submitted to: Proceedings of the Tenth Marcel Grossman Conference, July 2003, Rio de Janeiro
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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