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Observation of the Crab Nebula Gamma-Ray Emission Above 220 Gev by the Cat Cherenkov Imaging Telescope

A. Barrau, R. Bazer-Bachi, H. Cabot, L. M. Chounet, G. Debiais, B. Degrange, J. P. Dezalay, A. Djannati-Atai, D. Dumora, P. Espigat, B. Fabre, P. Fleury, G. Fontaine, R. George, C. Ghesquiere, P. Goret, C. Gouiffes, I. A. Grenier, L. Iacoucci, S. Le Bohec, I. Mallet, C. Meynadier, F. Munz, T. A. Palfrey, E. Pare, Y. Pons, M. Punch, J. Quebert, K. Ragan, C. Renault, M. Rivoal, L. Rob, P. Schovanek, D. Smith, J. P. Tavernet, J. Vrana

astro-pharXiv:astro-ph/9705248

Abstract

The CAT imaging telescope, recently built on the site of the former solar plant Themis (French Pyrenees), observed gamma-rays from the Crab nebula from October 1996 to March 1997. This steady source, often considered as the standard candle of very-high-energy gamma-ray astronomy, is used as a test-beam to probe the performances of the new telescope, particularly its energy threshold (220 GeV at 20 degrees zenith angle) and the stability of its response. Due to the fine-grain camera, an accurate analysis of the longitudinal profiles of shower images is performed, yielding the source position in two dimensions for each individual shower.

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