The Cerenkov gamma telescope Hotovo

Recently a wide-angle time Cerenkov gamma telescope was constructed at the Institute for Nuclear Research and Nuclear Energy. It consists of seven Cerenkov detectors with a field of +/-15 deg each. They are parabolic reflectors of 3 m diameter, distributed as follows: one at the center and six at the corners of a hexagon measuring 140 m diagonally. The Cerenkov light telescope for the search of astrophysical objects with energies of 10 exp 13 - 10 exp 14 eV is located near the town of Melnik in the Hotovo village (phi = 41 deg, lambda = 23 deg, 231 m a.s.l.). This region is characterized by a favorable astroclimate (about 250 cloudless nights per year), which is a necessary condition for effective exploitation of the Cerenkov light techniques. The first results, produced by methodical measurements, are obtained, and the basic performance characteristics are tested, such as minimal light density, time resolution, and angle accuracy at energies of 10 exp 13 - 10 exp 14 eV.