Optimizing the angular resolution of the HEGRA telescope system to study the emission region of VHE gamma rays in the Crab Nebula

Authors
Aharonian, FA Akhperjanian, AG Barrio, JA Bernlohr, K Bojahr, H Bolz, O Borst, H Contreras, JL Cortina, J Denninghoff, S Fonseca, V Gonzalez, JC Gotting, N Heinzelmann, G Hermann, G Heusler, A Hofmann, W Horns, D Ibarra, A Iserlohe, C Jung, I Kankanyan, R Kestel, M Kettler, J Kohnle, A Konopelko, A Kornmeyer, H Kranich, D Krawczynski, H Lampeitl, H Lorenz, E Lucarelli, F Magnussen, N Mang, O Meyer, H Mirzoyan, R Moralejo, A Padilla, L Panter, M Plaga, R Plyasheshnikov, A Prahl, J Puhlhofer, G Rhode, W Rohring, A Rowell, G Shakian, V Samorski, M Schilling, M Schroder, F Siems, M Stamm, W Tluczykont, M Volk, HJ Wiedner, C Wittek, W
Citation
Fa. Aharonian et al., Optimizing the angular resolution of the HEGRA telescope system to study the emission region of VHE gamma rays in the Crab Nebula, ASTRON ASTR, 361(3), 2000, pp. 1073-1078
Citations number
35
Categorie Soggetti
Space Sciences
Journal title
ASTRONOMY AND ASTROPHYSICS
ISSN journal
00046361 → ACNP
Volume
361
Issue
3
Year of publication
2000
Pages
1073 - 1078
Database
ISI
SICI code
0004-6361(200009)361:3<1073:OTAROT>2.0.ZU;2-K
Abstract
The HEGRA system of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov telescopes provides for s pecially selected classes of events an angular resolution of better than 3' . By comparing the measured angular distribution of TeV gamma rays from the Crab Nebula with the distribution expected on the basis of Monte Carlo sim ulations, and with measurements of gamma rays from the point source Mrk 501 , we conclude that the rms size of the VHE gamma-ray emission region in the Crab Nebula is less than 1.5'.