New hybrid reconstruction techniques for first analyses of ultra-high energy gamma-ray data from the hybrid TAIGA detector

最高能量的银河宇宙射线的加速器，Pevatron，尚未被确定。超高能伽马射线区（E>10 TeV至数百TeV）中的灵敏伽马射线观测对于这项任务至关重要。为了覆盖这个能量范围，需要非常大的仪器区域（几平方公里）。目前现有的和计划中的仪器遵循立体成像空气切伦科夫望远镜（例如，HESS、MAGIC、VERITAS、CTA）或非成像粒子波前采样阵列（HAWC、LHAASO）。德国-俄罗斯TAIGA实验是一种混合方法的先驱，它将宽间距的切伦科夫望远镜与切伦科夫光定时阵列相结合。在一种新的混合重建方法中，将单个望远镜图像与来自定时阵列的定时和幅度信息相结合。在我们的初步工作中，我们已经表明，这样的组合达到了性能媲美经典的立体阵列，同时大大减少了所需的望远镜数量。本提案的主要目标是开发和验证新的和优化的混合成像/定时重建技术，使用广泛的和现实的空气淋浴和探测器模拟。我们将这些方法应用于初始TAIGA数据，并进行突出对象的第一敏感点源分析。随着调试数据的采集，我们将探索蟹状星云发射光谱的超高能端，观察工作中的电子Pevatron。最后，我们将开发物理案例（粒子加速，光子传播，重暗物质等）。在这个新的观测窗口中进行超高能伽马射线观测。

The accelerators of the highest energy Galactic cosmic rays, the Pevatrons, are yet to be identified. Sensitive gamma-ray observations in the ultra-high energy gamma-ray regime (E>10 TeV up to several 100 TeV) are essential for this task. In order to cover this energy range, a very large instrumented area (several square kilometers) is required. The currently existing and planned instruments follow the well-established approaches of either stereoscopic imaging air Cherenkov telescopes (e.g., HESS, MAGIC, VERITAS, CTA) or non-imaging particle shower-front sampling arrays (HAWC, LHAASO). The German-Russian TAIGA experiment is pioneering a hybrid approach, which combines widely spaced Cherenkov telescopes with a Cherenkov light timing array. The individual telescope images are combined with the timing and amplitude information from the timing array in a novel hybrid reconstruction method. In our preliminary work, we have shown that such a combination reaches a performance comparable to classical stereoscopic arrays, while dramatically reducing the required number of telescopes.The main objective of this proposal is the development and verification of new and optimized hybrid imaging/timing reconstruction techniques, using extensive and realistic air shower and detector simulations. We will apply these methods to initial TAIGA data and carry out the first sensitive point source analyses of prominent objects. With the commissioning data to be taken, we will explore the ultra-high energy end of the Crab nebula emission spectrum, observing an electron Pevatron at work. Finally, we will develop the physics case (particle acceleration, photon propagation, heavy dark matter etc.) for ultra-high energy gamma-ray observations in this new observational window.