MACE telescope: simulation studies

The MACE telescope detects VHE gamma-rays by detecting atmospheric Cherenkov radiation from extensive air showers induced by them. The detection of VHE gamma-rays using IACTs like MACE is hindered by the cosmic rays which continuously bombard the Earth ' s atmosphere from all directions. In an IACT simulation, complete development of gamma/cosmic ray induced extensive air showers, atmospheric Cherenkov emission from them and response of all the components of an IACT to Cherenkov light is simulated. Such simulations then provide calibration data required to extract signal and to determine spectrum and morphology of the gamma-ray source observed. Simulations thus play very crucial role in detection of VHE gamma-rays using IACT. Simulations of an IACT are essential part of an its operations and data analysis. They play crucial role of providing calibration data related to gamma/hadron segregation efficiency, effective detection area, angular and energy resolution of the telescope. Detailed simulation studies involving simulation of shower development using CORSIKA and simulation of all sub components of the MACE telescope have been carried out. We have estimated effective area and trigger energy threshold, integral flux sensitivity, angular resolution and energy resolution of the MACE telescope at various zenith angles between 0 to 40. MACE is able to detect weak gamma-ray sources with integral flux of ~2.4% of the Crab Nebula in the zenith range of 0 to 40. The energy threshold of MACE is estimated to be between ~30 GeV to ~50 GeV for this zenith range. The angular resolution of the MACE telescope is ~0.21 near the energy threshold while at high energies of > 1 TeV the angular resolution is o ~0.06 . The energy resolution of MACE is expected to improve from ~40% near the threshold to ~20% at energies above 1 TeV