Physics Performance of the Large-Sized Telescope prototype of the Cherenkov Telescope Array

TL;DR

This paper evaluates the performance of the Large-Sized Telescope prototype for the Cherenkov Telescope Array, focusing on its calibration, resolution, and sensitivity in gamma-ray astronomy.

Contribution

It presents the first detailed performance analysis of the LST prototype, including calibration, resolution, and sensitivity assessments based on real data and simulations.

Findings

Successful tuning of Monte Carlo simulations to match observational data

Estimated angular and energy resolution of the telescope

Sensitivity evaluation using Crab Nebula observations

Abstract

The Large-Sized Telescope (LST) prototype of the future Cherenkov Telescope Array (CTA) is located at the Northern site of CTA, on the Canary Island of La Palma. It is designed to provide optimal performance in the lowest part of the energy range covered by CTA, observing gamma rays down to energies of tens of GeV. The LST prototype started performing astronomical observations in November 2019 during the commissioning of the telescope and it has been taking data since then. In this contribution, we will present the tuning of the characteristics of the telescope in the Monte Carlo (MC) simulations to describe the data obtained, the estimation of its angular and energy resolution, and an evaluation of its sensitivity, both with simulations and with observations of the Crab Nebula.