Sensitivity estimate of the MACE gamma ray telescope

TL;DR

This paper estimates the sensitivity of the MACE gamma-ray telescope using Monte Carlo simulations and machine learning, demonstrating its capability to detect faint gamma-ray sources like the Crab Nebula.

Contribution

It provides the first detailed sensitivity estimate of the MACE telescope, highlighting its potential for high-energy gamma-ray astronomy at high altitudes.

Findings

Sensitivity threshold of 38 GeV for gamma-ray detection.

Integral sensitivity of ~2.7% of Crab Nebula flux in 50 hours.

Effective gamma-hadron separation using Random Forest method.

Abstract

The MACE (Major Atmospheric Cherenkov Experiment) is a 21 m diameter gamma-ray telescope which is presently being installed at Hanle in Ladakh, India (32^0 46^' 46^" N, 78^0 58^' 35^" E) at an altitude of 4270 m a.s.l. Once operational, it will become the highest altitude very high energy (VHE) gamma-ray telescope in the world based on Imaging Atmospheric Cherenkov Technique (IACT). In the present work, we discuss the sensitivity estimate of the MACE telescope by using a substantially large Monte Carlo simulation database at 5^0 zenith angle. The sensitivity of MACE telescope is estimated by carrying out the gamma-hadron segregation using the Random Forest method. It is estimated that the MACE telescope will have an analysis energy threshold of 38 GeV for image intensities above 50 photoelectrons. The integral sensitivity for point like sources with Crab Nebula-like spectrum above 38 GeV is ~2.7% of Crab Nebula flux at 5 sigma statistical significance level in 50 hrs of observation.