Geomagnetic field and altitude effects on the performance of future IACT arrays

TL;DR

This study examines how altitude and geomagnetic field influence the performance of future Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (IACT) arrays, providing models to optimize site selection and improve gamma-ray detection capabilities.

Contribution

It introduces a linear model relating detection rates and energy thresholds to altitude and geomagnetic field components for CTA site optimization.

Findings

Detection rates and energy thresholds are linearly related to altitude and geomagnetic field.

Geophysical effects significantly influence shower images and gamma/hadron separation.

Results are applicable for any potential CTA site location.

Abstract

The performance of IACT's arrays is sensitive to the altitude and geomagnetic field (GF) of the observatory site. Both effects play important role in the region of the sub-TeV gamma-ray measurements. We investigate the influence of GF on detection rates and the energy thresholds for five possible locations of the future CTA observatory using the Monte Carlo simulations. We conclude that the detection rates of gamma rays and the energy thresholds of the arrays can be fitted with linear functions of the altitude and the component of the GF perpendicular to the shower axis core. These results can be directly extrapolated for any possible localization of the CTA. In this paper we also show the influence of both geophysical effects on the images of shower and gamma/hadron separation.