Layout optimization and Performance of Large Array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (LACT)

• Published in: Chinese physics C
• Main Authors: Zhang, Zhipeng 张志鹏, Yang, RuiZhi, Zhang, Shoushan, Xie, Zhen, Liu, Jiali, Yin, Liqiao, Wang, YuDong, Ma, Lingling, Cao, Zhen
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 04.11.2024
• ISSN: 1674-1137; 2058-6132
• DOI: 10.1088/1674-1137/ad8e3f

Abstract Large Array of imaging atmospheric Cherenkov Telescope (LACT) is an array of 32 Cherenkov telescopes with 6-meter diameter mirrors to be constructed at the LHAASO site. In this work, we present a study on the layout optimization and performance analysis of LACT. We investigate two observation modes: large zenith angle observations for ultra-high energy events and small zenith angle observations for lower energy thresholds. For large zenith angles (60°), simulations show that an 8-telescope subarray can achieve an effective area of $3 ~\rm km^2$ and excellent angular resolution. For small zenith angles, we optimize the layout of 4-telescope cells and the full 32-telescope array. The threshold of the full array is about $200~\rm GeV$, which is particularly crucial for studying transient phenomena, including gamma-ray bursts (GRBs) and active galactic nuclei (AGNs). This study provides important guidance for the final LACT layout design and performance estimates under different observational conditions, demonstrating LACT's potential for deep observations of ultra-high energy \gray sources and morphological studies of PeVatrons, as well as time-domain \gray astronomy.