Year: 2025
Type: conference-paper
Abstract: The Andes Large area PArticle detector for Cosmic ray and Astronomy (ALPACA) is a new air shower array experiment under construction in the Bolivian Andes at the altitude of 4740 m. The aim of the experiment is to explore the southern gamma-ray sky beyond 100 TeV to reveal the yet unknown PeV cosmic-ray accelerators. The surface array consisting of 401 plastic scintillating counters covers 82,800 m$^{2}$ and the underground muon detector array of 3600 m$^2$ area enables the identification of electromagnetic showers from hadronic shower background. A prototype surface array named ALPAQUITA has been running since 2023 and the construction of the underground muon detector will start in 2025. In this presentation, the status of the ALPACA project is reviewed in addition to the initial performance of ALPAQUITA for the hadronic cosmic-ray observations.
DOI: 10.22323/1.501.0830
Author: Takashi Sako
Institutions: Institute for Cosmic Ray Research, The University of Tokyo
Language: English
Subfield: Nuclear and High Energy Physics
Field: Physics and Astronomy
Domain: Physical Sciences
Open Access status: hybrid
Awards: Challenges in Space Weather Prediction Using the Sun's Shadow in the Cosmic Rays, Measurement of cosmic-ray proton energy spectrum to test the standard model of galactic cosmic-ray origin, Gamma Ray Astronomy at Highest Energy in the Southern Hemisphere, G373756783, Novel Development of Highest Energy Gamma Ray Astronomy, Unravelling mystery of cosmic particle accelerator PeVatron by highest-energy gamma-ray observation, Origin of galactic cosmic rays revealed by observations of ultra-high cosmic gamma rays in the southern hemisphere, Demonstration of 100 TeV gamma-ray observation in the southern hemisphere
OpenAlex ID: W4414530791